Anatomy: Upper Limb

Describe the pectoral region muscles, including pectoralis major and minor, subclavius, and serratus anterior, detailing origins, insertions, nerve supply, and actions like flexion, adduction, and protraction.

Explore scapular muscles—trapezius, Latice Mazdoor d'Orsay muscle, levator scapulae, and rhomboids—as this lecture explains origins, insertions, nerve supply, and scapular movements, plus triangles of auscultation and lumbar.

Explore scapulohumeral muscles: deltoid and the rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis), with origin, insertion, nerve supply, actions, and abduction roles.

Examine the anterior arm muscles—the biceps brachii, brachialis, and coracobrachialis—and posterior triceps brachii, detailing origins, insertions, musculocutaneous and radial nerve supply, and elbow flexion, supination, and extension.

Explore the forearm muscles, detailing the superficial and deep flexors from the common flexor origin, the extensors with deep and superficial groups, their insertions, actions, and nerve supply.

Learn the intrinsic hand muscles (thenar, hypothenar, lumbricals, interossei) and the extrinsic muscles, along with origins, insertions, nerve supply, and movements like abduction, flexion, and opposition.

Describe the mammary gland as a modified sweat gland in the pectoral region, its quadrants and axillary tail, and outline its vascular, venous, and lymphatic drainage and cancer implications.

Trace the clavicular fascia’s vertical attachments around the subclavian and pectoralis minor. Note horizontal attachments to the external intercostal membrane and coracoclavicular ligament; identify four traversing structures.

Examine the axilla anatomy, its apex at the cervicoaxillary canal, four walls, and contents such as axillary artery, axillary vein, and the brachial plexus.

Explore the axillary artery, its three parts divided by the pectoralis minor, and its major branches—superior, thoracoacromial, lateral thoracic, and subscapular with circumflex arteries—along with related brachial plexus relations.

The axillary vein forms at the lower border of the pectoralis major and becomes the subclavian at the first rib, with cephalic, lateral thoracic, and subscapular veins as tributaries.

Describe the axillary lymph node anatomy, including five groups (anterior/pectoral, posterior/subscapular, lateral, central, infraclavicular), their drainage patterns, and clinical relevance to breast cancer.

Explore the brachial plexus anatomy, from c5–t1 roots to trunks, divisions, and cords, and learn key branches including the long thoracic, dorsal scapular, axillary, radial, and median nerves.

Identify the scapular spaces: quadrangular space and two triangular spaces, outlining boundaries and the axillary nerve with posterior circumflex humeral artery, circumflex scapular artery, and radial nerve with profunda brachii.

scapular anastomosis links first-part subclavian branches (suprascapular, transverse cervical) with third-part axillary branches (subscapular, circumflex scapular) around the body and acromion.

Explore the arterial anastomosis around the elbow joint, detailing anterior and posterior networks on the medial and lateral aspects formed by branches of profunda brachii, ulnar, and radial arteries.

Explore the cubital fossa's boundaries, roof, and floor, and learn its contents: median nerve, brachial artery, biceps tendon, and radial nerve branches, with clinical notes.

Trace the brachial artery from the lower border of the teres major to its division into radial and ulnar arteries, noting profunda brachii, nutrient to humerus, and elbow collateral branches.

Flexor retinaculum forms the carpal tunnel at the wrist. It transmits tendons of flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus and the median nerve, and swelling can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

Explain how the extensor retinaculum anchors wrist extensor tendons into six compartments, detailing the passing structures such as abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, and extensor digitorum.

Describe the anatomical snuff box on the dorsal hand, bounded by extensor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, and abductor pollicis longus; floor by scaphoid and trapezium; contains radial artery.

Explore the superficial and deep palmar arches, their formation and branches, and their relation to flexor tendons, with notes on inter-arch anastomosis and bleeding control.

Describe the surgical spaces of the hand, including the mid palmer space, lumbar i space and lumbar canals, pina's space, and pulp space, with boundaries, contents, and infection implications.

The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket, multiaxial and highly movable, stabilized by the glenoid labrum, ligaments, and rotator cuff. Learn its surfaces, blood supply, movements, relations, and common injuries.

Explore the elbow joint, formed by the humerus, ulna, and radius. Learn about its hinge synovial joint, humero-ulnar and humero-radial articulations, ligaments, surfaces, and related clinical aspects.

Explore the wrist joint (radiocarpal) articulation between the distal radius, articular disc, and carpal bones, its ligaments and capsule, and the flexion, extension, and abduction movements with related ganglion considerations.

Describe the first carpometacarpal joint as a saddle joint between the trapezium and the first metacarpal. Include ligaments, nerve and arterial supply, and movements: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, opposition.

Learn about supination and pronation of the forearm, the oblique axis around the radioulnar joint, and the key muscles like brachioradialis, biceps brachii, pronator teres, and pronator quadratus.

the musculocutaneous nerve arises from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus (c5–c7), innervates the anterior arm muscles, and continues as the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm.

The axillary nerve arises from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus (c5–c6) and traverses the quadrangular space to supply the deltoid, teres minor, and shoulder skin.

Trace the radial nerve from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus through the axilla and spiral groove, detailing its branches, cutaneous supply, and wrist drop.

Trace the median nerve from the brachial plexus cords to the forearm and hand, detailing roots, branches, muscle supply (flexors and thenar), cutaneous branches, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Trace the ulnar nerve from the medial cord (c8–t1, sometimes c7) through the axilla to the forearm and then split into superficial and deep branches innervating hand muscles and skin.