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Nerve Course Sheet

Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.

Nerve Course Sheet

84 rows · AnatoMemory · sample of the first 3 rows of each section (20 of 84)

Upper limb

Upper limb - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Axillary nerve	Usually C5-C6, carried through the posterior cord	Leaves the axilla through the quadrangular space beside the posterior circumflex humeral vessels; branches wrap around the surgical neck	Deltoid and teres minor muscles	Skin near the inferior lateral deltoid through the superior lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm
Brachial plexus	Usual maps: C5 - dorsal scapular; C5-C6 - suprascapular, subclavius, upper/lower subscapular and axillary; C5-C7 - lateral pectoral, musculocutaneous and long thoracic; C6-C8 - thoracodorsal; C8-T1 - medial pectoral, medial arm/forearm cutaneous and ulnar; C5-T1 - radial; median chiefly C6-T1 with variable C5. Segmental maps vary	Roots between anterior and middle scalenes; trunks in the lower posterior triangle; divisions behind the clavicle; cords named around the second part of the axillary artery	Most shoulder and upper-limb muscles, including many scapular stabilizers. Trapezius receives its main motor supply through the accessory nerve	Most upper-limb skin; the shoulder tip also receives C3-C4 supraclavicular nerves, and the axilla/adjacent medial arm receives intercostobrachial supply, usually T2
Long thoracic nerve	Usually anterior rami C5-C7, branching near the roots of the brachial plexus	Passes from the lower neck beneath the clavicle and down the lateral chest wall on superficial serratus anterior	Serratus anterior muscle	No defined cutaneous territory; its branches serve the muscle rather than a patch of skin

Lower limb

Lower limb - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Common fibular (peroneal) nerve	Usually L4–S2, through the fibular division of the sciatic nerve	Tracks along the medial side of the biceps femoris tendon, curves around the fibular neck and divides deep to fibularis longus into superficial and deep branches	Through terminal branches: lateral and anterior leg muscles and short extensors on the foot dorsum; the more proximal fibular division supplies short-head biceps femoris	Lateral leg through sural cutaneous branches; much of the dorsal foot through superficial and deep fibular branches, with borders varying between people
Deep fibular (peroneal) nerve	Commonly summarized as L4–S1 through the common fibular nerve; published segmental ranges differ	Leaves the proximal lateral leg, passes into the anterior compartment, descends beside the anterior tibial artery and crosses the ankle beneath the extensor retinacula	Tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus and fibularis tertius; extensor digitorum brevis and extensor hallucis brevis in the foot	Usually the facing skin surfaces between the great and second toes dorsally, plus articular and other deep sensory fibers
Femoral nerve	Posterior divisions of the L2–L4 ventral rami in the lumbar plexus	Emerges at the lateral psoas border, runs between psoas and iliacus and passes beneath the inguinal ligament lateral to the femoral artery before branching in the thigh	Quadriceps femoris, sartorius, iliacus and usually pectineus; psoas major receives direct lumbar branches	Anterior and anteromedial thigh through cutaneous branches; medial leg and part of the medial foot through the saphenous nerve; articular branches to hip and knee

Thorax

Thorax - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Cardiac plexus	Sympathetic preganglionic origin around T1–T5; parasympathetic input through cranial nerve X	Interconnecting nerves near the aortic arch and tracheal bifurcation continue toward the heart; superficial and deep divisions are conventional descriptions	Sympathetic stimulation generally accelerates rate and conduction and increases contractility; vagal stimulation slows sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodal activity	Spinal afferents commonly accompany sympathetic pathways; vagal afferents participate in cardiovascular reflex signaling
Greater splanchnic nerve	Commonly T5–T9, with variable contributions	Descends across the thoracic vertebral bodies and traverses the diaphragm toward the celiac ganglia	Preganglionic sympathetic output; after a ganglionic relay, fibers reach foregut structures through abdominal plexuses	Visceral afferents from upper abdominal organs, including foregut pain pathways
Intercostal nerves	Thoracic anterior rami T1–T11; T12 forms the subcostal nerve	Cross the rib spaces mainly between internal and innermost intercostals, near the costal groove	Intercostal muscles; lower thoracic branches also supply abdominal-wall muscles	Segmental trunk skin and relevant parietal pleura; lower branches also carry abdominal-wall and parietal peritoneal sensation

Abdomen

Abdomen - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Anterior vagal trunk	Cranial nerve X; it does not arise from a spinal ventral ramus.	Accompanies the esophagus through the diaphragm, usually near T10, then distributes anterior gastric and hepatic branches.	Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers influence enteric circuits governing gastric movement and secretion.	Carries visceral sensory information used in reflexes, including responses to distension; conscious visceral pain usually follows spinal pathways.
Celiac ganglion	Greater-splanchnic input commonly arises from T5–T9; this is a typical contribution, not the full range of all plexus inputs.	Ganglia lie near T12–L1, anterior to the diaphragmatic crura and beside the celiac origin.	Postganglionic sympathetic fibers influence vascular tone and visceral activity in celiac-artery territories.	Visceral afferent fibers pass through the region; foregut pain commonly has an epigastric distribution.
Celiac plexus	Sympathetic inputs span lower thoracic segments, commonly summarized as T5–T12; parasympathetic input comes through cranial nerve X.	Situated near the celiac origin at approximately T12–L1, with connections toward the superior mesenteric and other prevertebral plexuses.	Distributes autonomic fibers along arteries to regulate visceral smooth muscle, glands and vascular tone.	Carries visceral afferents from upper-abdominal organs, including fibers involved in referred foregut pain.

Pelvis

Pelvis - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Pelvic splanchnic nerves	S2–S4.	Join the inferior hypogastric plexus and continue through organ-specific plexuses to peripheral ganglia.	Promote hindgut motility, detrusor contraction and the vascular responses involved in erection; bladder emptying requires coordinated outlet relaxation.	Carry visceral afferents, including pain pathways from structures below the pelvic pain line and reflex information from pelvic organs.
Sacral plexus	Overall L4–S4; superior gluteal L4–S1, inferior gluteal L5–S2, sciatic L4–S3, posterior femoral cutaneous S1–S3 and pudendal S2–S4.	Lies anterior to piriformis and behind the internal iliac vessels; major limb branches leave through the greater sciatic foramen.	Supplies gluteal and posterior-thigh muscles, leg and foot muscles, and perineal/pelvic-floor muscles through its branches.	Serves much of the buttock, posterior thigh, leg and foot, together with perineal and external-genital skin.

Back

Back - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Cauda equina	Usually described as L2–L5, S1–S5 and Co1 roots; descriptions of its uppermost lumbar extent vary	Descend beside the filum terminale in the lumbar cistern before reaching their corresponding exits from the vertebral canal	Somatic fibers to lower-limb and perineal muscles, including external sphincters; sacral roots also carry parasympathetic output to pelvic organs	Sensory input from the lower limbs and perineal region, with the affected area depending on which roots are involved
Dermatomes	Maps usually begin at C2 and continue through the sacral and coccygeal levels; C1 has no usual discrete skin territory	Cutaneous branches of dorsal and ventral rami reach the skin; limb plexuses redistribute ventral-ramus fibers into named peripheral nerves	Dermatomes describe sensation, while myotomes describe segmental muscle function. Common reflex associations include biceps/brachioradialis C5–C6, triceps mainly C7, patellar L2–L4 and Achilles mainly S1	Approximate reference sites include C6 thumb, C7 middle finger, C8 little finger, T4 nipple level, T10 umbilicus, L3 medial knee, L4 medial malleolus, L5 dorsal great-toe region and S1 lateral foot/ankle
Dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway¹	not recorded	Dorsal columns → gracile/cuneate nuclei in the caudal medulla → crossing internal arcuate fibers → medial lemniscus → ventral posterolateral thalamus → somatosensory cortex	Carries ascending sensory information rather than descending commands to skeletal muscle	Discriminative touch, vibration and conscious awareness of body position and movement; gracile fibers serve lower regions and cuneate fibers upper trunk and upper limb

Head & neck

Head & neck - Nerve Course Sheet. Every nerve in the reference with its root value, course, and motor and sensory territory, grouped by body region.
Nerve	Root value	Course	Motor	Sensory
Abducens nerve (CN VI)¹	not recorded	Ascends beside the clivus, passes beneath the petrosphenoidal ligament in Dorello’s canal, then travels beside the cavernous internal carotid artery to the orbit	Lateral rectus, producing abduction of the eye	Classified as somatic motor; no cutaneous sensory territory
Accessory nerve (CN XI)¹	not recorded	Ascends from the cervical cord into the posterior cranial fossa, leaves via the jugular foramen, reaches sternocleidomastoid and crosses the posterior triangle to the deep surface of trapezius	Principal motor supply to sternocleidomastoid and trapezius, supporting head rotation and scapular movement	No defined skin territory. Cervical nerve connections carry much of the muscle sensory input; human studies also identify sensory fibers within CN XI.
Ansa cervicalis	Usually C1–C3	Roots descend near the anterior carotid sheath and form a loop; its height and relationship to the internal jugular vein vary	Sternohyoid, sternothyroid and both bellies of omohyoid	No cutaneous sensory territory; conventionally described as a motor loop

Built from the nerve records of the AnatoMemory reference library.

No "Root value" value is recorded for this structure in the reference data.

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