Radial nerve

From Free net encyclopedia

Template:Infobox Nerve The radial nerve is a nerve in the human body, that supplies the arm, the forearm and the hand.

It originates from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus with roots from C5, 6, 7, 8, & T1, and continues down the arm staying posterior. Going down the humerus, the radial nerve travels through the radial groove on this bone.

The radial nerve and its branches supply the dorsal muscles, such as triceps brachii, the extrinsic extensors of the wrist and hands, and the cutaneous nerve supply to most of the back of the hand. (The ulnar nerve cutaneously innervates the back of the little finger.)

The radial nerve divides into a deep branch, (which becomes the posterior interosseous nerve), and continues as the superficial branch which goes on to innervate the dorsum (back) of the hand.

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Details from Gray's anatomy

The Radial Nerve (musculospiral nerve), the largest branch of the brachial plexus, is the continuation of the posterior cord of the plexus.

Its fibres are derived from the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth cervical and first thoracic nerves.

It descends behind the first part of the axillary artery and the upper part of the brachial artery, and in front of the tendons of the Latissimus dorsi and Teres major.

It then winds around from the medial to the lateral side of the humerus in a groove with the a. profunda brachii, between the medial and lateral heads of the Triceps brachii.

It pierces the lateral intermuscular septum, and passes between the Brachialis and Brachioradialis to the front of the lateral epicondyle, where it divides into a superficial and a deep branch.

The branches of the musculospiral nerve are:

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