Regions / Grooves / Spaces of upper limb

Edited by : Arvin Shahbazi

Supervised by : Dr. Altdorfer !roly " Dr. Somogyi Gy#rgy
Spaces/canals/fossas

Borders and descriptions
Contents
Triangular space
( Medial axillary
hiatus )
The space borders:
Superior: Teres minor muscle
Inferior: Teres major muscle
Lateral: Long head of triceps muscle
This space contains circumflex
scapular artery and vein so
they pass from axilla to dorsum
of scapula
Quadrangular space
( Lateral axillary
hiatus )
The space borders:
Superior: Teres minor muscle
Inferior: Teres major muscle
Medial: Long head of triceps muscle
Lateral: Surgical nec of humerus
This space contains Axillary
nerve and posterior
circumflex humeral artery


!xillary fossa
It is a pyramidal shaped fossa "hich is
bordered by:
!nterior: #ectoralis major muscle
( lo"er margin of this muscle maes
ant.axillary fold) and pectoralis minor
#osterior: Latissimus dorsi$ Teres major
muscles ( Latissimus dorsi muscle maes
post.axillary fold)
Medial: Serratus anterior muscle
Lateral: %iceps muscle &
'oracobrachialis muscle
This fossa contains Axillary
artery , Axillary vein ,
Brachial plexus , Axillary
lymph nodes and lots of
adipose tissue
(eltopectoral groo)e
( (eltopectoral triangle)
It is a triangular region "hich is bordered:
Lateral: (eltoid muscle
Medial: #ectoralis major muscle
Superior: 'la)icle
(eltopectoral triangle contains
cephalic vein ( It "ill pierce
this region to join to axillary
)ein) and Deltoid branch of
Thoracoacrominal artery
* !r)in Shahba+i *
'ubital fossa
It is a depression on the anterior surface of
the elbo" "hich is bordered :
Superior: ,picondyles of humerus
Medial: #ronator teres muscle
Lateral: %rachioradialis muscle
-loor: %rachialis muscle
This fossa contains Tendon of
biceps muscle , Brachial
artery (hich bifurcates in
this re!ion and !ives "adial
and #lnar arteries $, %edian
nerve, &ateral cutaneus
nerve of forearm


Medial bicipital
groo)e
This groo)e is located bet"een . structures$
the %iceps muscle and the Triceps muscle *
and the intermuscular septum (medial side)/
This region has ner)es and
blood )essels of upper limb:
%edial antebrachial
cutaneus nerve ( most
superficial structure ) , Basilic
vein ( is the structure "hich
lies under this ner)e ) , #lnar
nerve ( partly ) and %edian
nerve run lateral to basilic
)ein and crosses the Brachial
artery from lateral to medial/
In this groo)e brachial artery is
the deepest structure/


'arpal canal
( 'arpal tunnel )
! canal "hich is made by fibrous
connecti)e tissue and carpal bones$ both
sides maing carpal eminences:
- ulnar carpal eminence (pisiform0hoo of
hamate)
- radial carpal eminence (tubercle of
scaphoid0trapesium)/
1steofibrous canal
%orders:
Superior: -lexor retinaculum
Inferior: carpal bones 0 eminences/
CLINICALY: compression in this region
results CARPAL TUNNEL
SYNDROME.
This tunnel carries 23 tendons
from flexors of forearm & one
ner)e :
'lexor di!itorum
superficialis muscle ( has 4
tendons) $ 'lexor di!itorum
profondus muscle ( has 4
tendons) are located in one
tendon sheat$ %edian nerve/
'lexor pollicis lon!us muscle
( has 2 tendon) located in one
tendon sheath $ 'lexor carpi
radialis ( has 2 tendon)
located in one tendon sheath$
so all 23 tendons lie in 5
tendon sheath compartments/
* !r)in Shahba+i *
6uyon7s canal
( 6uyons tunnel )
! canal "hich is made by depression
bet"een pisiform & hoo of hamate
inferiorly and co)ered by pisohamate
ligament & )olar carpal ligament superiorly/
!lso 6uyon7s canal floor is made by -lexor
retinaculum/
(osteofibrous canal)
CLINICALLY: is significant because it is
site of compression/
This tunnel contains #lnar
artery and #lnar nerve
("hich bifurcates inside the
canal to superficial and deep
branches)
!natomical snuff box

( Radial !"e!la #
!r
( Ta$a%iere #
Snuff box is bordered :
8lnar: ,xtensor pollicis longus
9adial: #air of parallel tendons of ,xtensor
pollicis bre)is and !bductor pollicis longus
-loor : Scaphoid & Trape+oid bones
N!%e: !natomical snuff box can be seen
during thumb E&%en'i!n and
a$duc%i!n.
'ontents of 9adial fo)eola are:
"adial artery "hich passes
from this region and on its
course maes crossing "ith
tendons of ,xtensor pollicis
longus$ ,xtensor pollicis bre)is
and abductor pollicis longus$
but radial artery during
crossing lies (ELO) of all of
these tendons so finally after
passing from radial fo)eola
enters to dorsal region of the
hand and penetrates the first
dorsal interosseus muscle and
later maes (eep palmar arch
"ith the deep branch of ulnar
artery/
Cephalic vein is the other
content/
Superficial branch of radial
nerve can also be found in this
region/
* !r)in Shahba+i *