DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2016.v04i12.028

Pages: 971-974

Ventral rami of spinal nerves from C5 to T1 form brachial plexus. The lateral cord of brachial plexus gives three branches namely lateral pectoral, musculocutaneous and lateral root of median nerve. Lateral pectoral nerve pierces clavipectoral fascia and supplies pectoralis major. Musculocutaneous nerve pierces the coracobrachialis muscle and supplies flexor muscles of arm and continues as lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm. Lateral root of median nerve joins medial root to form median nerve. There were two anomalous branching pattern observed related to lateral cord of brachial plexus of right upper limb from different cadavers in the Department of Anatomy, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Chalakka, Ernakulam. CASE-I: During routine dissection for first year MBBS students, the musculocutaneous nerve descended medial to coracobrachialis without piercing the muscle and muscular branch to coracobrachialis was given from the lateral cord directly. Few fibres from musculocutaneous nerve were communicating with the median nerve at the level of insertion of deltoid muscle. CASE-II: The lateral cord of brachial plexus gave nerve to coracobrachialis and lateral pectoral nerve and a common trunk passed medial to coracobrachialis till the middle one third of arm where it divided into musculocutaneous nerve proper and lateral root of median nerve. Knowledge about the origin, course, branching pattern & variants of brachial plexus would be helpful while planning reconstructive flap surgeries and treatment of fractures of upper end of humerus.