Quick Facts
Origin: Medial cord of brachial plexus.
Course: Combines with its corresponding lateral root from the lateral cord of brachial plexus to form the median nerve.
Branches: None.
Supply: Motor innervation to the muscles of the anterior compartment of the forearm and hand.
Origin
The medial root comes off as a terminal branch of the medial cord of brachial plexus (C8, T1).
Course
The median nerve has two roots; the medial and lateral roots. The medial root comes off from the medial cord (C8, T1) while the lateral root comes off from the lateral cord (C5, C6, C7) of brachial plexus. Both roots embrace the third part of axillary artery. The median nerve is formed by the union of both medial and lateral roots, either anterior or lateral to the axillary artery.
Branches
There are no named branches and directly contributes to the median nerve.
Supplied Structures
The median nerve is a mixed nerve which contains sensory and motor neuronal fibers from the C5—C7 cervical segments of the spinal cord. It provides motor innervation to the muscles of the anterior compartment of the forearm and the hand. The lateral root nerve fibers are predominantly directed towards the forearm musculature, whereas the medial root fibers are predominantly reserved for the hand musculature.
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Median Nerve
The median nerve is a terminal branch nerve of the brachial plexus formed from the medial and lateral cords.
