Anterior Forearm

Question 1

What are the 4 muscles of the superficial anterior compartment of the forearm? What is each innervated by?

Answer 1

Pronator teres - median nerve.
Flexor carpi radialis - median nerve.
Palmaris longus - median nerve.
Flexor carpi ulnaris - ulnar nerve.

Question 2

What is the 1 muscle of the intermediate anterior forearm compartment? What is it innervated by?

Answer 2

Flexor digitorum superficialis - median nerve.

Question 3

What are the 3 muscles of the deep anterior compartment of the forearm? What are they innervated by?

Answer 3

Flexor digitorum profundus - median half ulnar nerve, lateral halftime median nerve.
Flexor pollicis longus - median nerve.
Pronator quadratus - median nerve.

Question 4

Which muscle has split tendons to the phalanges and which muscle does this overlie?

Answer 4

Flexor digitorum superficialis has split tendons.

Flexor digitorum profundus overlies the tendons (inserts through from underneath).

Question 5

What makes up the boundaries of the carpal tunnel?

Answer 5

Superior - flexor retinaculum.

Inferior - carpal arch.

Question 6

What does the flexor retinaculum attach to?

Answer 6

Hook of hamate, pisiform, trapezium tubercle, scaphoid tubercle.

Question 7

What are the 8 carpal bones, from the thumb to 5th digit on both rows?

Answer 7

Scaphoid.
Lunate.
Triquetrum.
Pisiform.
Trapezium.
Trapezoid.
Capitate.
Hamate.

Question 8

What is the contents of the carpal tunnel?

Answer 8

4 flexor digitorum superficialis tendons.
4 flexor digitorum profundus tendons.
Flexor pollicis longus tendon.
Median nerve (thumb side).

Question 9

What are the 3 thenar muscles and what are they innervated by?

Answer 9

Opponents pollicis - median nerve.
Abductor pollicis brevis - median nerve.
Flexor pollicis brevis - median nerve.

Question 10

What are the 3 hypothenar muscles and what are they innervated by?

Answer 10

Opponents digiti minimi - ulnar nerve.
Abductor gigiti minimi - ulnar nerve.
Flexor digiti minimi brevis - ulnar nerve.

Question 11

What is the innervation of the lumbricals?

Answer 11

Medial half ulnar nerve, lateral half (thumb side) median nerve.

Question 12

What are the 2 sets of interossei muscles and what are they innervated by?

Answer 12

Dorsal interossei - ulnar nerve.

Palmar interossei - ulnar nerve.

Question 13

What are palmaris brevis and adductor pollicis innervated by?

Answer 13

Ulnar nerve.

Question 14

What is the Allen’s test?

Answer 14

Performed to ensure that the ulnar artery is patent and able to perfused hand before taking blood, in case the radial artery is damaged when taking blood from it (ABG).

Question 15

What is dupuytren’s disease?

Answer 15

Inherited disease causing fibrosis of the palmar fascia usually leading to a contracted 4th digit, although other fingers can be affected.

Question 16

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome? What can be seen clinically?

Answer 16

Median nerve compression.
Thenar muscle wasting.
Loss of digit sensation (not palmar sensation as palmar cutaneous branch branches off before the tunnel).

Question 17

What are the boarders of the cubical fossa?

Answer 17

Floor - brachialis and supinator.
Superior border - imaginary line between the epicondyles of the humerus.
Medial border - pronator teres.
Lateral border - brachioradialis muscle.
Roof - fascia, skin, median cubital vein, reinforced by bicipital aponeurosis.

Question 18

What is the contents of the cubital fossa?

Answer 18

Radial nerve, median nerve, biceps tendon, brachial artery.

Question 19

What can be damaged in a supracondylar fracture, leading to Volkmann’s ischaemic contracture?

Answer 19

Brachial artery damage.