Anterior Interosseous Nerve of Forearm
Nervus interosseus anterior antebrachii
Read moreQuick Facts
Origin: Median nerve (C7—C8).
Course: Descends underneath the flexor digitorum superficialis to innervate deep muscles of the anterior forearm.
Branches: Muscular and articular branches.
Supply: Flexor pollicis longus and pronator quadratus muscles, lateral half of flexor digitorum profundus, radiocarpal joint, distal radioulnar joint.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The anterior interosseous nerve of the forearm is the main branch of the median nerve in the forearm. It arises from the median nerve as it passes between the two heads of pronator teres muscle. It contains motor nerve fibers from the C7—C8 cervical spinal segments.
Course
Inside the cubital fossa, the median nerve lies medial to the brachial artery, behind the bicipital aponeurosis and in front of brachialis muscle. It then enters the forearm by passing between the two heads of pronator teres muscle and descends beneath the fibrous arch of the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle, on the surface of the flexor digitorum profundus. Here, in the upper part of the forearm, the median nerve gives off a deep branch called the anterior interosseous nerve which innervates the deep muscles in the anterior compartment of the forearm. The anterior interosseous nerve ends by supplying the distal radioulnar and radiocarpal (wrist) joints.
Branches
The anterior interosseous nerve of the forearm supplies muscular branches to the deep muscles of the anterior forearm. Articular branches are given off to the distal radioulnar and wrist joints.
Supplied Structures
The anterior interosseous nerve of the forearm supplies flexor pollicis longus, lateral half of flexor digitorum profundus (giving rise to tendons for the index and middle fingers), and pronator quadratus muscle. The articular branches supply the distal radioulnar and wrist joints.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Anterior interosseous nerve syndrome (Chi and Harness, 2010)
References
Chi, Y. and Harness, N. G. (2010) 'Anterior Interosseous Nerve Syndrome', Journal of Hand Surgery, 35(12), pp. 2078-2080.
