Supraclavicular Nerve, Lateral View

Description

Arising from the superficial cervical plexus (ventral rami of C3 to C4), the supraclavicular nerves emerge at the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid in the lateral neck and descend inferolaterally toward the clavicle. The cutaneous branches cross superficial to the clavicle and spread over the pectoral and deltoid regions, with medial, intermediate, and lateral groups distributing across the anterior chest and shoulder. Deep to the skin, the nerve course lies superficial to the deep cervical fascia and overlies the inferior belly of the omohyoid and the clavicular head of sternocleidomastoid near the supraclavicular fossa. Clear surface anatomy. Clinically, this is the sensory pathway most often affected in supraclavicular nerve injury after clavicle fracture, plate fixation, or intramedullary pinning, where numbness or dysesthesia develops over the anterolateral shoulder and upper chest. The lateral view also supports planning for a supraclavicular nerve block used for clavicular procedures and skin-graft donor sites, and it helps teach why the punctum nervosum (Erb’s point) is a common landmark for regional anesthesia and for cervical plexus neuropathies. Small nerve, big consequence. Use this artwork in gross anatomy and regional anatomy teaching to orient students to cervical plexus cutaneous branches relative to the sternocleidomastoid and clavicle, or in operative textbooks discussing clavicle ORIF approaches and strategies to reduce postoperative sensory deficits. It also suits patient-facing education on expected numbness patterns after clavicle surgery and documentation graphics for pain and anesthesia services. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.