Brachial Plexus Explorer
Build the plexus from roots to terminal nerves, explore root-level contributions, and practise clinical lesion localisation.
OrthoAnimate modules demonstrate concepts and support teaching. They are not validated patient-specific planning or clinical decision-support systems.
Start here
Select any ? on the anatomy map to reveal a structure and follow its pathway.
What you’ll learn 3 objectives
- Trace C5–T1 through trunks, divisions, cords, and terminal nerves.
- Relate major collateral and terminal branches to their root contributions.
- Distinguish root-, trunk-, cord-, and terminal-nerve lesion patterns.
This is a schematic teaching model with explicit assumptions and limitations. It is not intended for diagnosis, operative navigation, or regional anaesthesia.
Reveal one structure
Select the highlighted question mark to reveal the C5 root.
Reveal labels by tier
Darker gold follows the posterior pathway. Select a named nerve or branch for clinical detail.
Original OrthoAnimate teaching schematic. Conventional anatomy is simplified; normal variation is not shown.
- Roots
- Trunks
- Divisions
- Cords
- Terminal nerves
Select a nerve root to see every structure it contributes to.
Evidence & governance Assumptions · limitations · provenance · references
How to interpret this explorer
Model assumptions
- The diagram presents the commonly taught C5–T1 plexus organised as roots, trunks, divisions, cords, and terminal nerves.
- Root values and motor or sensory territories use conventional teaching ranges; minor contributions differ among sources and individuals.
- The wiring activity tests the conventional topology, including contributions from both lateral and medial cords to the median nerve.
Limitations
- Prefixed, postfixed, and other normal anatomical variants are not drawn.
- Spatial relationships are simplified and not intended for operative navigation or regional anaesthesia.
- Clinical questions teach localisation patterns; they do not establish a diagnosis or recommend management.
Attribution and provenance
The brachial plexus schematic, pathway data, activities, and clinical teaching content were authored for OrthoAnimate. The diagram is an original educational abstraction informed by the linked anatomical sources and does not reproduce a third-party illustration. The module uses plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with the shared platform typography and no third-party runtime library.
Evidence and references 3 selected sources
- Davidson MR, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Brachial Plexus. StatPearls Publishing; updated 2023.
- Borschel GH, Clarke HM. Anatomy of the brachial plexus. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. 2011;4(2):107–111.
- Benes M, et al. A meta-analysis on the anatomical variability of the brachial plexus: Part I—Roots, trunks, divisions and cords. Annals of Anatomy. 2021;238:151751.
These references support the conventional organisation and the stated importance of anatomical variation. The list supports this teaching model and is not a systematic review.