Upper limb
| Upper limb |
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| Front of right upper extremity. |
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| Back of right upper extremity. |
| Latin |
membrum superius |
| Gray's |
subject #289 1325 |
In human anatomy, the upper limb (also upper extremity) refers to the region distal to the deltoid.[1]
In formal usage, the term "arm" only refers to the structures from the shoulder to the elbow, explicitly excluding the forearm, and thus "upper limb" and "arm" are not synonymous. However, in casual usage, the terms are often used interchangeably. The term "upper arm" is redundant in anatomy, but in informal usage is used to distinguish between the two terms.
General structures
The upper limb includes the following structures:
Note that anatomists use the term arm to denote only the region between the shoulder and the elbow. This is in contrast to the more common English use of arm, which usually includes the region from the shoulder down to the wrist. 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:
References
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Bones of upper limbs (TA A02.4, GA 2.200-230) |
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Pectoral girdle,
clavicle |
conoid tubercle · trapezoid line · costal tuberosity · subclavian groove
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| 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)
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| 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)
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| 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)
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| 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
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anat(c/f/k/, u, t/p, l)//devp/cell
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noco/cong/tumr, sysi/, injr
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Joints and ligaments of upper limbs (TA A03.5, GA 3.313) |
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| Shoulder |
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Sternoclavicular
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Anterior sternoclavicular · Posterior sternoclavicular · Interclavicular · Costoclavicular
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Acromioclavicular
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Syndesmoses: Coracoacromial · Superior transverse scapular · Inferior transverse of scapula
Synovial: Acromioclavicular · Coracoclavicular (trapezoid, conoid)
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Glenohumeral
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Capsule · Coracohumeral · Glenohumeral (superior, middle, and inferior) · Transverse humeral · Glenoid labrum
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| Elbow |
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Humeroradial
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Radial collateral
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Humeroulnar
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Ulnar collateral
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Proximal radioulnar
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Anular · Oblique cord
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| Forearm |
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Distal radioulnar
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Palmar radioulnar · Dorsal radioulnar · Interosseous membrane of forearm
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| Joints of hand |
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Dorsal radiocarpal/Palmar radiocarpal · Dorsal ulnocarpal/Palmar ulnocarpal · Ulnar collateral/Radial collateral
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Intercarpal, midcarpal
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Radiate carpal · Dorsal intercarpal · Palmar intercarpal · Interosseous intercarpal · Scapholunate · Pisiform joint (Pisohamate, Pisometacarpal)
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Carpometacarpal
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Dorsal carpometacarpal · Palmar carpometacarpal · thumb: Radial collateral, Ulnar collateral
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Intermetacarpal
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Deep transverse metacarpal · Superficial transverse metacarpal
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Metacarpophalangeal
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Collateral · Palmar
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Interphalangeal
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Collateral · Palmar
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Other
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Carpal tunnel · Ulnar canal
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noco(arth/defr/back/soft)/cong, sysi/, injr
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List of muscles of upper limbs (TA A04.6, GA 4.432) |
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| Shoulder |
deltoid · rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) · teres major
fascia: Deltoid fascia · Supraspinous fascia · Infraspinous fascia
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Arm
(compartments) |
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Anterior
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Posterior
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triceps brachii · anconeus · Articularis cubiti
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Fascia
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Axillary sheath · Axillary fascia · Brachial fascia · intermuscular septa (Lateral, Medial)
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Other
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spaces (Quadrangular space, Triangular space, Triangular interval)
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| Forearm |
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Anterior
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superficial: pronator teres · palmaris longus · flexor carpi radialis · flexor carpi ulnaris · flexor digitorum superficialis
deep: pronator quadratus · flexor digitorum profundus · flexor pollicis longus
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Posterior
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superficial: mobile wad (brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis) · extensor digitorum · extensor digiti minimi · extensor carpi ulnaris
deep: supinator · anatomical snuff box (abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus) · extensor indicis
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Fascia
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Bicipital aponeurosis · common tendons (Extensor, Flexor) · Antebrachial fascia
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Other
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Cubital tunnel
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| Hand |
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Lateral volar
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thenar (opponens pollicis, flexor pollicis brevis, abductor pollicis brevis) · adductor pollicis
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Medial volar
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hypothenar (opponens digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, abductor digiti minimi) · palmaris brevis
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Intermediate
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lumbrical · interossei (dorsal, palmar)
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Fascia
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posterior: Extensor retinaculum · Extensor expansion
anterior: Flexor retinaculum · Palmar aponeurosis
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anat (h/n, u, t/d, a/p, l)/phys/hist
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noco(m, s, c)/cong(d)/tumr, sysi/, injr
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List of arteries of upper limbs (TA A12.2.09, GA 6.575) |
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| Axillary |
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Shoulder
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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
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Brachial
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Before split
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profunda brachii (radial collateral, medial collateral) · ulnar collateral (superior, inferior)
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Radial
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forearm: radial recurrent
wrist/carpus: dorsal carpal branch · palmar carpal branch
hand: superficial palmar branch · princeps pollicis · Radialis indices artery (radial of index finger)
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Ulnar
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forearm: ulnar recurrent (anterior, posterior) · common interosseous (anterior, posterior, recurrent)
wrist/carpus: dorsal carpal branch · palmar carpal branch
hand: deep palmar branch
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Arches
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dorsal carpal arch: dorsal metacarpal (dorsal digital)
palmar carpal arch
superficial palmar arch: common palmar digital (proper palmar digital)
deep palmar arch: palmar metacarpal
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anat(a:h,u,t,a,l,v:h,u,t,a,l)/phys/devp/cell/
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proc, drug(C2s/,C3,C4,C5,,C8,C9)
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Veins of upper limbs (TA A12.3.08, GA 7.660) |
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| General |
Subscapular · Axillary · Circumflex scapular
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| Superficial |
arm: Cephalic (Accessory cephalic) · Median cubital · Basilic · Median antebrachial
hand/forearm: Dorsal network (Intercapitular, Dorsal metacarpal) · Superficial palmar arch (Palmar digital)
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| Deep |
arm: Radial · Ulnar · Brachial
hand/forearm: Deep palmar arch (Palmar metacarpal)
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anat(a:h,u,t,a,l,v:h,u,t,a,l)/phys/devp/cell/
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proc, drug(C2s/,C3,C4,C5,,C8,C9)
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Lymphatics of upper limbs (TA A13.3.01, GA 8.699) |
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| Axillary |
brachial · pectoral axillary · subscapular axillary · central · apical
subclavian trunk
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| Other |
supratrochlear · deltopectoral
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Nerves of upper limbs (primarily): the brachial plexus (C5-T1) (TA A14.2.03, GA 9.930) |
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| Supraclavicular |
root (dorsal scapular, long thoracic) · upper trunk (suprascapular, to the subclavius)
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| Infraclavicular |
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lateral cord
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lateral pectoral
musculocutaneous (lateral cutaneous of forearm)
median/lateral root: anterior interosseous · palmar · recurrent · common palmar digital (proper palmar digital)
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medial cord
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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
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posterior cord
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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)
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| Other |
cutaneous innervation of the upper limbs
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anat(h,r,t,,b,l,s)/phys/devp///nttm/
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noco/auto/cong/tumr, sysi/, injr
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