Quick Facts
Origin: Musculocutaneous nerve (C5-C6).
Course: Emerges from the lateral intermuscular septum between the biceps and brachialis muscles.
Branches: No named branches.
Supply: Skin of lateral forearm.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (or lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm) is a continuation of the musculocutaneous nerve in the distal arm. It contains sensory nerve fibers for the C5—C7 spinal segments.
Course
The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve emerges from the lateral intermuscular septum between the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles, traveling from medial to lateral. It pierces the deep fascia in the roof of the cubital fossa, lateral to the biceps tendon and deep to the cephalic vein, about 2–3 cm above the bend of the elbow. The nerve further descends along the radial border of forearm down to the wrist where it lies anterior to the radial artery.
Branches
The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve gives off filaments that extend to the thenar eminence as cutaneous rami.
Supplied Structures
The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve provides cutaneous sensory innervation to skin of lateral forearm.
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Cutaneous Nerve
The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve is a pure sensory nerve that originates from the medial cord of the brachial plexus and innervates the skin of the medial forearm.
