It is also known as the dorsal antebrachial cutaneous nerve, the external cutaneous branch of the musculospiral nerve, and the posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve.

It arises from the radial nerve in the posterior compartment of the arm, often along with the posterior cutaneous nerve of the arm.

The upper and smaller branch of the nerve passes to the front of the elbow, lying close to the cephalic vein, and supplies the skin of the lower half of the arm.

The lower branch pierces the deep fascia below the insertion of the deltoideus, and descends along the lateral side of the arm and elbow, and then along the back of the forearm to the wrist, supplying the skin in its course, and joining, near its termination, with the dorsal branch of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 944 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)