Thoracodorsal Nerve, Lateral View

Description

Running along the posterolateral thoracic wall, the thoracodorsal nerve is traced in lateral profile as it courses inferiorly and posteriorly toward the latissimus dorsi. Posterior elements of the thoracic vertebrae and the rib cage provide the bony framework, with the scapula partially superimposed laterally over the upper ribs and the nerve trajectory passing deep to the posterior axillary region. Segmental nerves are suggested as yellow branches emerging from the thoracic spinal canal region, establishing the relationship between the thoracic spine and peripheral nerve pathways. Orientation is clear. A lateral view helps you teach how the thoracodorsal nerve (from the posterior cord, C6 to C8) reaches the latissimus dorsi on its deep surface near the posterior axillary fold, traveling with the thoracodorsal artery and veins. That relationship matters in axillary lymph node dissection and mastectomy, where the nerve can be injured during work along the lateral border of the scapula and subscapularis, leading to weakness of shoulder extension, adduction, and internal rotation. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons also track this nerve when harvesting a pedicled latissimus dorsi flap, because denervation changes flap bulk and function. Use this plate in gross anatomy teaching on the thorax and axilla, in peripheral nerve modules that connect spinal roots to target muscles, or as a figure for surgical texts describing posterior axillary anatomy and thoracodorsal nerve preservation. It also fits patient-facing explanations of post-axillary surgery weakness when paired with a latissimus dorsi action diagram. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.