Spinal nerve root origins of the cutaneous nerves arising from the canine brachial plexus.

The spinal nerve root origins of the cutaneous nerves arising from the brachial plexus were investigated in 10 babiturate-anesthetized dogs by stimulating dorsal roots C5 to T2 and recording from each cutaneous nerve. Upon completion of the experiment, the contributions of the spinal nerve ventral branches to the brachial plexus were verified by anatomic dissection. The brachial plexus was formed by the ventral branches of C6 to T2 in 8 dogs, C6 to T1 in 1 dog, and C5 to T1 in 1 dog. The cutaneous branch of brachiocephalicus nerve was formed primarily by contributions from the C6 dorsal root. The cranial lateral cutaneous brachial nerve, a branch of the axillary nerve, was formed predominantly from C6 to C7. The median nerve received contributions primarily from C7, C8, and T1, and the communicating branch from the musculocutaneous to the median nerve contained fibers primarily from C7 and C8. The medial and lateral branches of the superficial branch of the radial nerve arose from C6, C7, C8, and T1, with the medial branch generally arising 1 segment craniad to the lateral. The palmar and dorsal branches of the ulnar nerve arose predominately from C8 and T1, and the caudal cutaneous antebrachial nerve of the ulnar arose predominately from T1 and T2.