The Back and Scapular region By Prof M

The Back and Scapular region By Prof. M. H. Al-Muhtaseb

Muscles Connecting the Upper Limb to the Vertebral Column

Trapezius • • Origin Occipital bone(external occiptal protuberunce), superior nuchal line, ligamentum nuchae, spine of seventh cervical vertebra, spines of all thoracic vertebrae and their supraspinous ligament • • Insertion Upper fibers into lateral third of clavicle; middle and lower fibers into acromion and spine of scapula • • Nerve Supply Spinal part of accessory nerve (motor) and C 3 and 4 (sensory) XI cranial nerve (spinal part) • • • Action Upper fibers elevate the scapula; middle fibers pull scapula medially (retracts); lower fibers pull medial border of scapula downward , anterior fibers rotates the scapula

Latissimus dorsi • • Origin Iliac crest, lumbar fascia, spines of lower six thoracic vertebrae(T 7 -T 12), lower three or four ribs, and inferior angle of scapula (5) • • Insertion Floor of bicipital groove of humerus (1) • • • Nerve Supply Thoracodorsal nerve C 6, 7, 8, • • Action Extends, adducts, and medially rotates the arm (3) Its called the climbing muscle Raising of the trunk above the arm • •

Levator scapulae • Origin • Transverse processes of first fourth cervical vertebrae (1) • Insertion • Medial border of scapula (1) • Nerve supply • C 3 and 4 and dorsal scapular nerve • C 3, 4, 5 • Action • Raises medial border of scapula

Rhomboid minor • Origin • Ligamentum nuchae and spines of seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebrae (3) • Insertion • Medial border of scapula (1) • Nerve supply • Dorsal scapular nerve C 4, 5 • Action • Raises medial border of scapula upward and medially

Rhomboid major • Origin • Second to fifth thoracic spines (1) • Insertion • Medial border of scapula (1) • Nerve supply • Dorsal scapular nerve C 4, 5 • Action • Raises medial border of scapula upward and medially

Muscles Connecting the Scapula to the Humerus

Deltoid • Origin • Lateral third of clavicle, acromion, spine of scapula • Insertion • Middle of lateral surface of shaft of humerus • Nerve supply • Axillary nerve C 5, 6 • Action • Middle fibers Abducts arm; anterior fibers flex and medially rotate arm; posterior fibers extend and laterally rotate arm • Abduction from 15 -90 degrees

Supraspinatus • Origin • Supraspinous fossa of scapula • Insertion • Greater tuberosity of humerus; capsule of shoulder joint • Nerve supply • Suprascapular nerve C 4, 5, 6 • Action • Abducts arm and stabilizes shoulder joint • Initiation of abduction 0 -15 degrees

Infraspinatus • Origin • Infraspinous fossa of scapula • Insertion • Greater tuberosity of humerus; capsule of shoulder joint • Nerve supply • Suprascapular nerve C 4, 5, 6 • Action • Laterally rotates arm and stabilizes shoulder joint

Teres major • Origin • Lower third of lateral border of scapula • Insertion • Medial lip of bicipital groove of humerus • Nerve supply • Lower subscapular nerve C 6, 7 • Action • Medially rotates and adducts arm and stabilizes shoulder joint

Teres minor • Origin • Upper two thirds of lateral border of scapula • Insertion • Greater tuberosity of humerus; capsule of shoulder joint • Nerve supply • Axillary nerve (C 4), C 5, 6 • Action • Laterally rotates arm and stabilizes shoulder joint

Subscapularis • Origin • Subscapular fossa • Insertion • Lesser tuberosity of humerus • Nerve supply • Upper and lower subscapular nerves C 5, 6, 7 • Action • Medially rotates arm and stabilizes shoulder joint

Rotator Cuff • The rotator cuff is the name given to the tendons of the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles • are fused to the underlying capsule of the shoulder joint • The cuff plays a very important role in stabilizing the shoulder joint • The tone of these muscles assists in holding the head of the humerus in the glenoid cavity of the scapula during movements at the shoulder joint • The cuff lies on the anterior, superior, and posterior aspects of the joint • The cuff is deficient inferiorly, and this is a site of potential weakness.

Quadrangular Space • The quadrangular space is an intermuscular space, located immediately below the shoulder joint • It is bounded above by the subscapularis and capsule of the shoulder joint • below by the teres major muscle • It is bounded medially by the long head of the triceps and laterally by the surgical neck of the humerus. • The axillary nerve and the posterior circumflex humeral vessels pass backward through this space

Triangular space • The triangular space is an area of communication between the axilla and the posterior scapular region • Posteriorly, when viewed from the posterior scapular region, the triangular space is formed by: the medial margin of the long head of triceps brachii; the superior margin of teres major; the inferior margin of teres minor. • • The circumflex scapular artery and vein pass through this gap to the infraspinous fossa • Radial nerve and the profunda brachi artery also passes

Axillary Nerve • The axillary nerve arises from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus (C 5 and 6) in the axilla • It passes backward and enters the quadrangular space with the posterior circumflex humeral artery • As the nerve passes through the space, it comes into close relationship with the inferior aspect of the capsule of the shoulder joint and with the medial side of the surgical neck of the humerus • It terminates by dividing into anterior and posterior branches

• The axillary nerve has the following branches: • An articular branch to the shoulder joint • An anterior terminal branch, which winds around the surgical neck of the humerus beneath the deltoid muscle; it supplies the deltoid and the skin that covers its lower part. • A posterior terminal branch, which gives off a branch to the teres minor muscle and a few branches to the deltoid, then emerges from the posterior border of the deltoid as the upper lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm • It is thus seen that the axillary nerve supplies the shoulder joint, two muscles, and the skin covering the lower half of the deltoid muscle • The axillary nerve can be injured in dislocations of the shoulder joint

Suprascapular nerve • The suprascapular nerve originates in the base of the neck from the superior trunk of the brachial plexus • It passes posterolaterally from its origin, through the suprascapular foramen to reach the posterior scapular region • innervates the supraspinatus muscle, • then passes through the greater scapular (spinoglenoid) notch, between the root of the spine of the scapula and the glenoid cavity, • terminate in and innervate the infraspinatus muscle. • the suprascapular nerve has no cutaneous branches

Arterial Anastomosis Around the Shoulder Joint • The extreme mobility of the shoulder joint may result in kinking of the axillary artery and a temporary occlusion of its lumen • To compensate for this, an important arterial anastomosis exists between the branches of the subclavian artery and the axillary artery • ensuring that an adequate blood flow takes place into the upper limb irrespective of the position of the arm

• • Branches from the Subclavian Artery The suprascapular artery, which is distributed to the supraspinous and infraspinous fossae of the scapula The superficial cervical artery, which gives off a deep branch that runs down the medial border of the scapula Branches from the Axillary Artery The subscapular artery and its circumflex scapular branch supply the subscapular and infraspinous fossae of the scapula, respectively. The anterior circumflex humeral artery The posterior circumflex humeral artery Both the circumflex arteries form an anastomosing circle around the surgical neck of the humerus

The Axilla

The Axilla The axilla, or armpit, is a pyramid-shaped space between the upper part of the arm and the side of the chest It forms an important passage for nerves, blood, and lymph vessels as they travel from the root of the neck to the upper limb. The upper end of the axilla, or apex, is directed into the root of the neck is bounded in front by the clavicle, behind by the upper border of the scapula, and medially by the outer border of the first rib

The lower end, or base, is bounded in front by the anterior axillary fold (formed by the lower border of the pectoralis major muscle), behind by the posterior axillary fold (formed by the tendon of latissimus dorsi and the teres major muscle), and medially by the chest wall

Walls of the Axilla Anterior wall: By the pectoralis major, subclavius, and pectoralis minor muscles Posterior wall: By the subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, and teres major muscles from above down Medial wall: By the upper four or five ribs and the intercostal spaces covered by the serratus anterior muscle

Lateral wall: By the coracobrachialis and biceps muscles in the bicipital groove of the humerus The base is formed by the skin stretching between the anterior and posterior walls The axilla contains the principal vessels and nerves to the upper limb and many lymph nodes

The Axilla

Clavipectoral Fascia The clavipectoral fascia is a strong sheet of connective tissue that is attached above to the clavicle Below, it splits to enclose the pectoralis minor muscle then continues downward as the suspensory ligament of the axilla and joins the fascial floor of the armpit. Structures travel between the axilla and the anterior wall of the axilla by passing through the clavipectoral fascia either between the pectoralis minor and subclavius muscles or inferior to the pectoralis minor muscle. Important structures that pass between the subclavius and pectoralis minor muscles include the cephalic vein, the thoracoacromial artery, and the lateral pectoral

Contents of the Axilla The axilla contains the axillary artery and its branches, which supply blood to the upper limb the axillary vein and its tributaries, which drain blood from the upper limb lymph vessels and lymph nodes, which drain lymph from the upper limb and the breast and from the skin of the trunk, down as far as the level of the umbilicus Lying among these structures in the axilla is an important nerve plexus, the brachial plexus, which innervates the upper limb These structures are embedded in fat.

Blood Vessels in The Axilla

Axillary Artery The axillary artery begins at the lateral border of the first rib as a continuation of the subclavian and ends at the lower border of the teres major muscle, where it continues as the brachial artery Throughout its course, the artery is closely related to the cords of the brachial plexus and their branches and is enclosed with them in a connective tissue sheath called the axillary sheath If this sheath is traced upward into the root of the neck, it is seen to be continuous with the prevertebral fascia. The pectoralis minor muscle crosses in front of the axillary artery and divides it into three parts

First Part of the Axillary Artery This extends from the lateral border of the first rib to the upper border of the pectoralis minor Relations Anteriorly: The pectoralis major and the skin. The cephalic vein crosses the artery Posteriorly: The long thoracic nerve (nerve to the serratus anterior) Laterally: The three cords of the brachial plexus Medially: The axillary vein

Second Part of the Axillary Artery This lies behind the pectoralis minor muscle Relations Anteriorly: The pectoralis minor, the pectoralis major, and the skin Posteriorly: The posterior cord of the brachial plexus, the subscapularis muscle, and the shoulder joint Laterally: The lateral cord of the brachial plexus Medially: The medial cord of the brachial plexus and the axillary vein

Third Part of the Axillary Artery This extends from the lower border of the pectoralis minor to the lower border of the teres major Relations Anteriorly: The pectoralis major for a short distance; lower down the artery it is crossed by the medial root of the median nerve Posteriorly: The subscapularis, the latissimus dorsi, and the teres major. The axillary and radial nerves also lie behind the artery Laterally: The coracobrachialis, the biceps, and the humerus. The lateral root of the median and the musculocutaneous nerves also lie on the lateral side Medially: The ulnar nerve, the axillary vein, and the medial cutaneous nerve of the arm

Branches of the Axillary Artery From the first The highest part: thoracic artery is small and runs along the upper border of the pectoralis minor From the second part: The thoracoacromial artery immediately divides into terminal branches. The lateral thoracic artery runs along the lower border of

From the third part: The subscapular artery runs along the lower border of the subscapularis muscle. The anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries wind around the front and the back of the surgical neck of the humerus, respectively

Axillary Vein The axillary vein is formed at the lower border of the teres major muscle by the union of the venae comitantes of the brachial artery and the basilic vein It runs upward on the medial side of the axillary artery and ends at the lateral border of the first rib by becoming the subclavian vein. The vein receives tributaries, which correspond to the branches of the axillary artery, and the cephalic vein