Browse the corpus

Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.

1 passage

introductionstatpearls· Introduction· item NBK535396

The long thoracic nerve, also referred to as the external respiratory nerve of Bell or posterior thoracic nerve, arises from the upper portion of the superior trunk of the brachial plexus and typically receives contributions from cervical nerve roots C5, C6, and C7. It is responsible for the innervation of the serratus anterior muscle; the long thoracic nerve descends posteriorly to the roots of the brachial plexus and anteriorly to the scalenus posterior muscle, and courses along the chest wall in the mid-axillary line to lie on the superficial surface of the serratus anterior muscle. Due to its long, relatively superficial course, the long thoracic nerve is susceptible to damage during certain surgical procedures or through direct trauma or stretch. When the long thoracic nerve is injured, a phenomenon known as winging of the scapula results.[1]