Brachial Plexus Practice Test

What spinal nerves contribute to the upper subscapular nerve?

C5 only C7, C8 C5, C6 C4, C5

Correct Answer:

C5, C6

Explanation:

The upper subscapular nerve comes from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus and carries fibers from the C5 and C6 roots. These roots combine to innervate the upper part of the subscapularis muscle, so the contributing spinal nerves are C5 and C6. While some anatomical variation can include a trace of C7, the standard exam answer is C5-C6. Omitting a root (C5 alone) or bringing in roots associated with other nerves (C7-C8 for the thoracodorsal nerve, or including C4 which isn’t typical here) would not fit the usual pattern.

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