Upper limb
Roots of the brachial plexus
Radices plexus brachialis (C5-Th1)
- Origin
- The ventral rami of the spinal nerves C5 to T1, emerging between the anterior and middle scalene muscles
- Insertion
- Join to form the superior (C5-C6), middle (C7) and inferior (C8-T1) trunks
- Function
- Form the first part of the brachial plexus and supply all motor and sensory innervation of shoulder, arm and hand
- Innervation
- Continuation of the ventral rami of spinal nerves C5-T1
- Movement & chain
- Stretched by traction on the arm or lateral flexion of the neck; the plexus shifts with every shoulder movement
- Palpation
- Provocation with the Spurling test, upper limb neurodynamic tests and dermatomal examination from C5 to T1
- Clinical
- Root compression in cervical disc herniation, thoracic outlet syndrome, birth plexus injury (Erb C5-C6, Klumpke C8-T1), neuralgic amyotrophy
- Segmental innervation
- C5-T1
- In clinical practice
- Always test the neck in arm complaints: root irritation radiates exactly like a local shoulder problem
- Region in the model
- Upper limb