A 42-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer is known to have tumors in the interveebral foramina between the fouh and fifth cervical veebrae and between the fouh and fifth thoracic veebrae. Which of the following spinal nerves may be damaged?,
High-Yield Explanation
All Cervical spinal nerves exit through the interveebral foramina above the corresponding veebrae, except the eighth cervical nerves, which run inferior to the seventh cervical veebra. All other spinal nerves exit the interveebral foramina below the corresponding veebrae. Therefore, the fifth cervical nerve passes between the fouh and fifth cervical veebrae, and the fouh thoracic nerve runs between the fouh and fifth thoracic veebrae.