Lab 2: Gross Anatomy of the Peripheral Nervous System

A&P II Lab

Spinal Accessory Nerve XI - Motor

Sternocleidomastoid & Trapezius muscles

Hypoglossal Nerve XII - Motor

Muscles of the Tongue

Vagus Nerve X - Both motor and sensory

Both motor & sensory fibers to the visceral body organs

Pathology: Clinical manifestations may include dysphagia, vocal cord weakness & alterations of the parasympathetic tone of the thorax & abdomen

Infraorbital Nerve

Lower eyelid & upper lip; infraorbital canal

Phrenic Nerve

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

Suprascapular nerve

Supraspinatus & infraspinatus muscles; suprascapular notch of the scapula

Subscapular nerves

Subscapularis, teres major, & latissimus dorsi muscles

Axillary Nerve

Deltoid & teres minor muscles

Musculocutaneous nerve

Coracobrachialis, biceps brachii, & brachialis muscles

Radial Nerve (near thumb)

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

Pathology: When damaged, an individual cannot draw their wrist up & thus this condition is referred to as wrist drop

Medial nerve

Sensation to the lateral anterior hand

Pathology: Carpal tunnel syndrome is generally associated with compression of this nerve

Ulnar nerve (near pinky)

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

Pathology: Superficial & thus often exposed to contact stimulation & pain in the “funny bone”

Long Thoracic nerve

Serratus anterior muscle

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 & semimembranosus muscles; greater sciatic notch of the pelvis

Tibial nerve

Gastrocnemius, soleus & plantaris muscles

Common fibular nerve (gives off a superficial & deep branch & is often cited as the common peroneal nerve)

Anterior muscles of the leg (not the thigh)

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, & 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 & medial ankle/foot

Sympathetic trunk & ganglia

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