Question:medium
Identify the muscle marked in the image. What is its nerve supply?
Identify the muscle marked in the image. What is its nerve supply?
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This scapular elevator shares its nerve supply (C5 component) with the rhomboids.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Dorsal scapular nerve
- Thoracodorsal nerve
- Spinal accessory nerve
- Suprascapular nerve
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Mnemonic angle: the dorsal scapular nerve (C5) is the nerve of the rhomboids and the levator scapulae, the muscles that retract and elevate the scapula. The image shows a strap muscle descending from the cervical transverse processes to the superior angle of the scapula, which is the levator scapulae.
Eliminate the distractors by their targets. Thoracodorsal nerve goes to latissimus dorsi. Spinal accessory (cranial nerve XI) goes to trapezius and sternocleidomastoid. Suprascapular nerve goes to supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Levator scapulae receives C3 and C4 directly and the C5 root through the dorsal scapular nerve, so the dorsal scapular nerve is the correct choice.
Ref: BDC, Textbook of Anatomy, Upper Limb.
Eliminate the distractors by their targets. Thoracodorsal nerve goes to latissimus dorsi. Spinal accessory (cranial nerve XI) goes to trapezius and sternocleidomastoid. Suprascapular nerve goes to supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Levator scapulae receives C3 and C4 directly and the C5 root through the dorsal scapular nerve, so the dorsal scapular nerve is the correct choice.
Ref: BDC, Textbook of Anatomy, Upper Limb.
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