Upper limb

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

In human anatomy, the upper limb (also upper extremity) refers to what in common English is known as the arm, that is, the region of the shoulder to the fingertips. It includes the entire limb, and thus, is not synonymous with the term upper arm.

General structures

The upper limb includes the following structures:

Shoulder
Arm (proper) - in anatomy, the region between the shoulder and the elbow
Elbow
Forearm
Wrist
Hand

Note that anatomists use the term arm to denote only the region between the shoulder and the elbow. This is in contrast to the proper English definition. Anatomists also use the term leg to refer to the region between the knee and the ankle. This, however, is the proper and traditional usage of the word, even though popular modern usage tends to include the thigh and foot in the definition.

Bones

The following bones are considered to be part of the upper limb:

Clavicle - the only bone that directly articulates with the trunk
Scapula
Humerus
Radius
Ulna
Carpal bones
Metacarpals
Phalanges

References

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 Bones of upper limbs
Pectoral girdle, clavicle	conoid tubercle - trapezoid line - costal tuberosity - subclavian groove
Scapula	fossae (subscapular, supraspinatous, infraspinatous) - suprascapular notch - glenoid cavity tubercles (infraglenoid, supraglenoid) - spine of scapula - acromion - coracoid process borders (superior, lateral/axillary, medial/vertebral) - angles (superior, inferior, lateral)
Humerus	upper extremity: necks (anatomical, surgical) - tubercles (greater, lesser) - intertubercular sulcus body: radial sulcus - deltoid tuberosity lower extremity: capitulum - trochlea - epicondyles (lateral, medial) - supracondylar ridges (lateral, medial) - fossae (radial, coronoid, olecranon)
Forearm	radius: upper extremity (head, tuberosity) - body - lower extremity (ulnar notch, styloid process) ulna: upper extremity (tuberosity, olecranon, coronoid process, radial notch, trochlear notch) - body - lower extremity (head, styloid process)
Hand	carpus: scaphoid - lunate - triquetral - pisiform - trapezium - trapezoid - capitate - hamate (hamulus) metacarpus: 1st metacarpal - 2nd - 3rd - 4th - 5th phalanges of the hand: proximal - intermediate - distal

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of upper limbs
Shoulder	sternoclavicular: anterior sternoclavicular - posterior sternoclavicular - interclavicular - costoclavicular acromioclavicular: acromioclavicular - coracoclavicular (trapezoid, conoid) - coracoacromial - superior transverse scapular - inferior transverse of scapula glenohumeral: coracohumeral - glenohumeral (superior, middle, and inferior) - transverse humeral - glenoid labrum
Elbow	proximal radioulnar, humeroradial, humeroulnar: ulnar collateral - radial collateral - annular - oblique cord
Forearm	distal radioulnar: volar radioulnar - dorsal radioulnar wrist/radiocarpal: palmar radiocarpal - dorsal radiocarpal - ulnar collateral - radial collateral
Hand	intercarpal, midcarpal: pisohamate ligament - pisometacarpal ligament carpometacarpal: dorsal carpometacarpal - palmar carpometacarpal intermetacarpal: deep transverse metacarpal - superficial transverse metacarpal metacarpophalangeal, interphalangeal

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)

v • d • e List of arteries of upper limbs
Axillary	scapular anastomosis - 1st part superior thoracic - 2nd part thoracoacromial (deltoid branch) - lateral thoracic - 3rd part subscapular (circumflex scapular, thoracodorsal) - anterior humeral circumflex - posterior humeral circumflex
Brachial	profunda brachii (radial collateral, medial collateral) - ulnar collateral artery (superior, inferior)
Radial	forearm: radial recurrent wrist/carpus: dorsal carpal branch - palmar carpal branch hand: superficial palmar branch - princeps pollicis (radial of index finger)
Ulnar	forearm: ulnar recurrent (anterior, posterior) - common interosseous (anterior, posterior, recurrent) wrist/carpus: dorsal carpal branch - palmar carpal branch hand: deep palmar branch
Arches	dorsal carpal arch: dorsal metacarpal (dorsal digital) palmar carpal arch superficial palmar arch: common palmar digital (proper palmar digital) deep palmar arch: palmar metacarpal

v • d • e Veins of upper limbs
superficial - hand/forearm	Dorsal digital • Dorsal metacarpal • Dorsal network • Palmar digital • Intercapitular
superficial - arm	Cephalic • Median cubital • Accessory cephalic • Basilic • Median antebrachial
deep - hand/forearm	Palmar metacarpal • Superficial palmar arch • Deep palmar arch
deep - arm	Radial • Ulnar • Brachial • Axillary

v • d • e Nerves of upper limbs (primarily): the brachial plexus (C5-T1)
Supraclavicular	root (dorsal scapular, long thoracic) - upper trunk (suprascapular, to the subclavius)
Infraclavicular: lateral cord	lateral pectoral musculocutaneous (lateral cutaneous of forearm) median/lateral root: anterior interosseous - palmar - recurrent - common palmar digital (proper palmar digital)
Infraclavicular: medial cord	medial pectoral cutaneous: medial cutaneous of forearm • medial cutaneous of arm ulnar: muscular - palmar - dorsal (dorsal digital nerves) - superficial (common palmar digital, proper palmar digital) - deep median/medial root: see above
Infraclavicular: posterior cord	subscapular (upper, lower) • thoracodorsal axillary (superior lateral cutaneous of arm) radial: muscular - cutaneous (posterior of arm, inferior lateral of arm, posterior of forearm) - superficial (dorsal digital nerves) - deep (posterior interosseous)
Other	cutaneous innervation of the upper limbs