The cubital fossa is located on the anterior surface of the elbow joint as a depression. It is bounded medially by the pronator teres muscle and laterally by the brachioradialis muscle. Its contents from medial to lateral include the median nerve, brachial artery, biceps tendon, and superficial radial nerve. The brachial pulse can be felt and blood pressure measured in this region. It is also a common site for venepuncture due to the median cubital vein. Damage to the cubital fossa contents can occur in supracondylar fractures of the humerus.

1. Cubital Fossa
Dr M Idris Siddiqui

2. The cubital fossa
• This is an area of transition
between the anatomical
arm and the forearm.
• It is located as a depression
on the anterior surface of
the elbow joint.

6. Cubital Fossa Borders
• Lateral:
–Medial border of brachioradialis muscle.
• Medial:
–Lateral border of pronator teres muscle.
• Base:
–An imaginary horizontal line, joining the front of
2 epicondyles of the humerus.
• Apex:
–Meeting point of the medial and lateral borders.
Here brachioradialis overlaps the pronator teres.

10. Floor & Roof
• Floor:
–It’s reated y 2 us les, brachialis in the upper
part and supinator in the lower part.
• Roof:
–It’s reated fro superfi ial to deep y:
• Skin
• Superficial fascia featuring (i) median cubital vein
attaching cephalic and basilic veins, and (ii) medial
and lateral cutaneous nerves of the forearm
• Deep fascia, reinforced by bicipital aponeurosis

13. Mnemonic
• The contents of cubital fossa from the medial
to lateral side are easily recalled by the
mnemonic :
• MBBS (M = Median nerve,
• B = Brachial artery,
• B = Biceps tendon,
• S = Superficial radial nerve

15. Cubital Fossa Content
• From the medial to lateral side are as follows:
• Median nerve: It leaves the fossa by passing between 2 heads of
pronator teres.
• Brachial artery: It ends in the fossa in the level of neck of radius by
splitting into radial and ulnar arteries. The radial artery is
superficial and makes the fossa in the apex. The ulnar artery is
deep and enters deep to the pronator teres.
• Biceps tendon: It enters backwards and laterally to be connected
on the radial tuberosity.
• Radial nerve: It is located in the gap between brachialis medially
and brachioradialis laterally.
– At the level of lateral epicondyle it breaks up into 2 terminal branches:
– (a) superficial radial nerve, enters downwards under the cover of
brachioradialis.
– (b) deep radial nerve, vanishes in the substance of supinator muscle.

18. CLINICAL RELEVANCE
• The median cubital vein in this region is the vein of
selection for gathering blood samples and giving
intravenous injections.
• The brachial pulse in this region is easily felt medial
to biceps tendon, for recording the blood pressure.
• To take care of the fractures around elbow,
viz. supracondylar fracture of the humerus.
• The contents of cubital fossa notably the brachial
artery and median nerve are exposed in
supracondylar fracture of the humerus.

19. Brachial Pulse and Blood Pressure
• The brachial pulse can be felt by
palpating immediately medial to
the biceps tendon in the cubital fossa.
• When measuring blood pressure, this is
also the location in which the
stethoscope must be placed, to hear the
korotkoff sounds.

21. Venepuncture
• The median cubital vein is located
superficially within the roof of the
cubital fossa.
• It connects the basilic and cephalic veins,
and can be accessed easily – this makes it a
common site for venepuncture.

23. Supracondylar Fractures
• A supracondylar fracture is a common fracture in the young,
and usually occurs by falling onto a hyper-extended elbow. It
is a transverse fracture, spanning between the two
epicondyles. It can also occur by falling onto a flexed elbow,
but this accounts for <5% of cases.
• The displaced fracture fragments may impinge and damage
the contents of the cubital fossa.
• Direct damage, or post-fracture swelling can cause
interference to the blood supply of the forearm from
the brachial artery. The resulting ischaemia can
cause Volk a ’s ischaemic contracture – uncontrolled
flexion of the hand, as flexors muscles become fibrotic and
short.
• There also can be damage to the median or radial nerves.

25. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
• This is a condition that involves
pressure or stretching of the ulnar
er e also k o as the fu y
o e er e , hi h a ause
numbness or tingling in the ring and
small fingers, pain in the forearm,
and/or weakness in the hand.