The dorsal scapular nerve arises from the brachial plexus, usually from the plexus root (anterior/ventral ramus) of C5.
It provides motor innervation to the rhomboid muscles, which pull the scapula towards the spine and levator scapulae muscle, which elevates the scapula.
Injury to this nerve is usually apparent when the scapula on one side is located farther from the midline. Once the nerve leaves C5 it commonly pierces the middle scalene muscle, and continues deep to levator scapulae and the rhomboids. It is accompanied by the one of two arteries. Either the dorsal scapular artery (the only artery that comes off of the third part of subclavian when present, although its origin is highly variable in different people) or when the dorsal scapular artery is absent, it is accompanied by the deep branch of the transverse cervical artery (an artery coming off of the thyrocervical trunk, a branch of the first part of the subclavian artery, the other two branches being vertebral artery and internal thoracic artery).
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