Posterior cutaneous nerve of forearm
Encyclopedia
The posterior cutaneous nerve of forearm is a nerve
Nerve
A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...

 found in humans and other animals. It is also known as the dorsal antebrachial cutaneous nerve, the external cutaneous branch of the musculospiral nerve, and the posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve. It is a cutaneous nerve
Cutaneous nerve
A cutaneous nerve is a nerve that innervates the skin.-Human anatomy:In human anatomy, cutaneous nerves are responsible for providing sensory innervation to the skin. They are generally thought of as sensory-only nerves, but they may provide motor innervation to structures in the skin, e.g...

 (a nerve that supplies skin) of the forearm
Forearm
-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...

.

Origin

It arises from the radial nerve
Radial nerve
The radial nerve is a nerve in the human body that supplies the upper limb. It supplies the medial and lateral heads of the triceps brachii muscle of the arm, as well as all 12 muscles in the posterior osteofascial compartment of the forearm and the associated joints and overlying skin.It...

 in the posterior compartment of the arm, often along with the posterior cutaneous nerve of the arm.

Course

It perforates the lateral head of the triceps brachii muscle at the triceps' attachment to the humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....

.

The upper and smaller branch of the nerve passes to the front of the elbow, lying close to the cephalic vein
Cephalic vein
In human anatomy, the cephalic vein is a superficial vein of the upper limb.It communicates with the basilic vein via the median cubital vein at the elbow and is located in the superficial fascia along the anterolateral surface of the biceps brachii muscle.Superiorly the cephalic vein passes...

, and supplies the skin of the lower half of the arm.

The lower branch pierces the deep fascia
Deep fascia
Deep fascia is a layer of fascia which can surround individual muscles, and divide groups of muscles into compartments....

 below the insertion of the Deltoideus, and descends along the lateral side of the arm and elbow, and then along the back of the forearm to the wrist, supplying the skin in its course, and joining, near its termination, with the dorsal branch of the lateral antibrachial cutaneous nerve.

See also

  • Medial cutaneous nerve of forearm
    Medial cutaneous nerve of forearm
    The Medial Antebrachial Cutaneous Nerve arises from the medial cord of the brachial plexus....

  • Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm
    Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm
    The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve passes behind the cephalic vein, and divides, opposite the elbow-joint, into a volar and a dorsal branch.-Volar branch:The volar branch descends along the radial border of the forearm to the...

  • Posterior cutaneous nerve of arm
    Posterior cutaneous nerve of arm
    The posterior cutaneous nerve of arm is a branch of the radial nerve that provides sensory innervation for much of the skin on the back of the arm...

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