360 ABRAM T. KERR 



THE SUBSCAPULAR GROUP OF NERVES 



In this group are included the nerves to the subscapularis, 

 the teres major and the latissimus dorsi muscles. There has 

 been some confusion in regard to the names. The nerve or 

 nerves that supply the cephalic and middle parts of the sub- 

 scapularis muscle was formerly designated as the upper sub- 

 scapular nerve or nerves. To this group I shall apply the name 

 subscapular nerve, 1, 2 or 3, according to the number found. 

 The nerve that supplies the teres major muscle and the axillary 

 border of the subscapularis muscle and that was formerly called 

 the lower subscapular nerve I shall call the axillary subscapular 

 nerve. The nerve that supplies the latissimus dorsi muscle 

 and that was formerly known as the middle or long subscapular 

 nerve, I shall follow the B. N. A. in calling the thoracodorsal 

 nerve. In some cases the branch or branches that the axillary 

 subscapular usually supplies to the axillary border of the sub- 

 scapularis muscle are given off separately. I have designated 

 these as the subscapular branches of the axillary subscapular 

 nerve. 



THE SUBSCAPULAR NERVES 



The subscapular nerve (upper subscapular) is usually de- 

 scribed as arising from the dorsal division of the cephalic trunk 

 and as being often double. 



In my series there are 157 satisfactory records of this nerve. 

 In 84, or 53.50 per cent of them, there is a single nerve (fig. 4), 

 in 64, or 40.76 per cent, there are two nerves and in 9, or 5.73 

 per cent, there are 3 nerves. 



In 40 of the plexuses in which the subscapular is represented 

 by a single branch, this arises from the dorsal division of the 

 cephalic trunk of the plexus (fig. 8). In 2 of these there is 

 another nerve to the subscapularis muscle arising from the 

 axillary nerve, which both from its origin and relations I have 

 considered as one of the branches that the axillary subscapular 

 nerve sends to the subscapular muscle and which in this case 

 arises separately. One of the 40 single nerves arises by two roots 

 and another comes from the suprascapular nerve. 



