Medial cord
Encyclopedia
The Medial cord is a division of the brachial plexus
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The medial cord gives rise to the following nerves:
Brachial plexus
The brachial plexus is a network of nerve fibers, running from the spine, formed by the ventral rami of the lower four cervical and first thoracic nerve roots...
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The medial cord gives rise to the following nerves:
- The median pectoral nerve, C8 and T1, to the pectoralis muscle
- The medial brachial cutaneous nerve, T1
- The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve, C8 and T1
- The median nerveMedian nerveThe median nerve is a nerve in humans and other animals. It is in the upper limb. It is one of the five main nerves originating from the brachial plexus....
, partly. The other part comes from the lateral cordLateral cordThe Lateral cord is a division of the brachial plexus.The lateral cord gives rise to the following nerves:*The lateral pectoral nerve, C5, C6 and C7 to the pectoralis major muscle*The musculocutaneous nerve which innervates the biceps muscle...
. C7, C8 and T1 nerve roots. The first branch of the median nerve is to the pronator teres muscle, then the flexor carpi radialis, the palmaris longus and the flexor digitorum superficialis. The median nerve provides sensation to the anterior palm, the anterior thumbThumbThe thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
, index fingerIndex fingerThe index finger, , is the first finger and the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the first and third digits, between the thumb and the middle finger...
and middle fingerMiddle fingerThe middle finger or long finger is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is usually the longest finger...
. It is the nerve compressed in carpal tunnel syndromeCarpal tunnel syndromeCarpal Tunnel Syndrome is an entrapment idiopathic median neuropathy, causing paresthesia, pain, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The pathophysiology is not completely understood but can be considered compression...
. - The ulnar nerveUlnar nerveIn human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve which runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest unprotected nerve in the human body , so injury is common...
originates in nerve roots C7, C8 and T1. It provides sensation to the ring and pinky fingers. It innervates the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle, the flexor digitorum profundus muscle to the ring and pinky fingers, and the intrinsic muscles of the hand (the interosseous muscle, the lumbrical muscles and the flexor pollicus brevis muscle). This nerve traverses a groove on the elbow called the cubital tunnelCubital tunnelThe cubital tunnel is a channel which allows the Ulnar nerve to travel over the elbow.Chronic compression of this nerve is known as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, a form of Repetitive Strain Injury akin to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome .-See also:* Ulnar nerve...
, also known as the funny bone. Striking the nerve at this point produces an unpleasant sensation in the ring and little fingers.