Upper limb
Dorsal scapular nerve
Nervus dorsalis scapulae
- Origin
- Arises from the anterior ramus of the C5 spinal nerve (with occasional C4 contribution)
- Insertion
- Pierces scalenus medius and descends deep to levator scapulae and rhomboids along the medial scapular border
- Function
- Motor innervation to rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, and levator scapulae
- Innervation
- Pure motor nerve (C5)
- Movement & chain
- Drives scapular retraction and elevation
- Palpation
- Not palpable through posterior neck and back musculature
- Clinical
- Dorsal scapular nerve entrapment within scalenus medius causing interscapular burning pain and lateral winging of the scapula
- Segmental innervation
- C5 spinal segment
- In clinical practice
- Addressed in interscapular myofascial pain syndromes; managed with posture re-education, scapular stabilization, and scalene stretching
- Region in the model
- Upper limb