Nerve Plexuses Flashcards

Cervical Plexus

• Innervates the skin of the neck, ear, back of the head, and shoulders.
• Supplies neck muscles.
• Includes the phrenic nerve, which is crucial as it supplies the diaphragm. Dysfunction can lead to breathing difficulties or paralysis of the diaphragm.

Brachial Plexus

• Innervates the upper limb. Understanding its detailed anatomy is essential for diagnosing and treating various nerve-related conditions affecting the arm and hand.

Lumbar Plexus

• Gives rise to:
  • Femoral nerve: Supplies the thigh region. Damage can affect the ability to extend the leg and cause sensory deficits in the anterior thigh.
  • Obturator nerve: Supplies the adductor muscles. Injury can impact the ability to adduct the leg.

Sacral Plexus

• Innervates the buttock, lower limb, pelvic structures, and perineum.
• Includes the sciatic nerve: Supplies the posterior thigh. It is the largest nerve in the human body. Sciatica, a common condition, involves compression or irritation of this nerve, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness in the leg.