Lab 02: Gross Anatomy of the Peripheral Nervous System

Note: does not include the anatomical diagrams that you must memorize.

Spinal Accessory n. XI (Motor)

Sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.

Hypoglossal n. XII (Motor)

Muscles of the tongue

Vagus Nerve X (Both)

Both motor and sensory fibers to the visceral body organs.

Vagus Nerve X (Both) — Pathology

Clinical manifestations may include dysphagia, vocal cord weakness and alterations of the parasympathetic tone of the thorax and abdomen.

Infraorbital Nerve

Lower eyelid and upper lip; infraorbital canal.

Phrenic Nerve

Diaphragm muscles to control breathing; both phrenic nerves run from C3-C5, along the anterior scalene muscles before diving into the thorax to pass between the lungs and heart.

Suprascapular Nerve

Supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles; suprascapular notch of the scapula.

Subscapular Nerves

Subscapularis, teres major and latissimus dorsi muscles.

Axillary Nerve

Deltoid and teres minor muscles

Musculocutaneous Nerve

Coracobrachialis, biceps brachii, and brachialis muscles.

Radial Nerve

Triceps brachii and all muscles of the posterior forearm, sensation to lateral posterior surface of the hand; radial groove of the humerus bone.

Radial Nerve — Pathology

When damaged, an individual cannot draw their wrist up and thus this condition is referred to as a wrist drop.

Median Nerve

Sensation to the lateral anterior hand

Median Nerve — Pathology

Carpel tunnel syndrome is generally associated with compression of this nerve.

Ulnar Nerve

Sensation to the anterior and posterior medial hand; behind the medial epicondyle of the humerus.

Ulnar Nerve — Pathology

Superficial and thus often exposed to the contact stimulation and pain in the “'funny bone”

Long Thoracic Nerve

Serratus Anterior Muscle

Long Thoracic Nerve — Pathology

When this nerve is damaged, the scapula wings out as it can no longer be held against the body wall

Sciatic Nerve

Biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles, greater sciatic notch of the pelvis.

Tibial Nerve

Gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles.

Common Fibular Nerve

Anterior muscles of the leg (not the thigh)

Common Fibular Nerve — Pathology

When damaged, muscles in the posterior leg are no longer antagonized by contracting muscles from the anterior leg resulting in an unsynchronized foot drop with each step.

Femoral Nerve

Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and vastus intermedius muscles.

Lateral Cutaneous Nerve

Sensation to the lateral thigh

Obturator Nerve

Sensation to the medial thigh; obturator foramen of the hip

Saphenous Nerve

Sensation to the medial leg and medial ankle/foot

Sympathetic Trunk and Ganglia

Distributes fibers through the ramus communicans for sympathetic influence into spinal nerves