Posterior compartment of the arm

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Posterior compartment of the arm
Cross-section through the middle of upper arm.
Artery	profunda brachii
Nerve	muscular branches of the radial nerve

The posterior compartment of the arm is an anatomic compartment which contains muscles which are all supplied by the radial nerve. This compartment is also known as the "extensor compartment", extension being its main action.

Contents

The muscles of this compartment are the triceps brachii and anconeus muscle.

• The triceps brachii is a large muscle containing three heads (lateral, medial, and middle).

• The anconeus is a small muscle stabilizes the elbow joint during movements. Some embryologists consider it as the fourth head of the triceps brachii. As the upper and lower limbs have similar embryological origins and the lower limb contains the quadriceps femoris muscle (the lower limb equivalent of the triceps), which has four heads, this would seem to make sense.

External links

• Norman/Georgetown lesson4nervesofant&postarm
• Anatomy at Dartmouth elbow/muscles/muscles2
• Anatomy at MUN msk/arm
• Dissection at tufts.edu

v • d • e General anatomy of upper limbs
Arm	Axilla • Axillary sheath • axillary folds (Anterior, Posterior) spaces (Quadrangular space, Triangular space, Triangular interval) • Clavipectoral triangle compartment of arm (Posterior, Anterior) fascia (Axillary, Brachial) - intermuscular septa (Lateral, Medial)
Forearm	Cubital fossa (Bicipital aponeurosis) • Cubital tunnel • common tendons (Extensor, Flexor) • Interosseous membrane of the forearm compartment of forearm (Posterior, Anterior) fascia (Antebrachial fascia)
Hand	posterior: Extensor retinaculum • Extensor expansion • Vincula tendina • Anatomical snuff box anterior: Flexor retinaculum • Carpal tunnel • Palmar aponeurosis • Ulnar canal • Synovial sheath (Common synovial sheath for the flexor tendons]) Finger

v • d • e List of muscles of upper limbs
VERTEBRAL COLUMN	trapezius - latissimus dorsi - rhomboid (major, minor) - levator scapulae
THORACIC WALLS	pectoralis major - pectoralis minor - subclavius - serratus anterior
SHOULDER	deltoid - rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) - teres major
ARM	anterior compartment: coracobrachialis - biceps brachii - brachialis posterior compartment: triceps brachii - anconeus
FOREARM	anterior compartment: superf. - pronator teres - palmaris longus - flexor carpi radialis - flexor carpi ulnaris - flexor digitorum superficialis anterior compartment: deep - pronator quadratus - flexor digitorum profundus - flexor pollicis longus posterior compartment: superf. - mobile wad (brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis) - extensor digitorum, - extensor digiti minimi - extensor carpi ulnaris posterior compartment: deep - supinator - anatomical snuff box (abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus) - extensor indicis
HAND	lateral volar - thenar (opponens pollicis, flexor pollicis brevis, abductor pollicis brevis) - adductor pollicis medial volar - hypothenar (opponens digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, abductor minimi digiti) - palmaris brevis intermediate - lumbrical - interossei (dorsal, palmar)