Clinical Conditions - Exam 2 Flashcards
Inflammation of bursa at the elbow from leaning too much on it (happens to people in nursing homes)
Subcutaneous olecranon bursitis
Supracondylar fracture
Fracture above the condyles (Common in children and the elderly)
Nursemaids elbow
Radial head is pulled out of annular ligament (Common in children because their annular ligament is not fully formed yet)
From a bony standpoint, elbow is fairly stable in what position
Extension
If elbow is not stable, patients will…
Report pain, will be unable to have any kind of resistance or loading to that joint
What kind of stress does the ulnar collateral ligament protect the joint from
Valgus stress (abduction or from lateral side)
What kind of stress does the radial collateral ligament protect the joint from
Varus stress (adduction or from medial side)
Significance of brachial artery
Important for blood pressure
Will someone be able to flex their elbow if they have damage to their musculocutaneous nerve?
Yes, because although the biceps brachii and brachialis are innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, the brachioradialis also does weak flexion of the elbow and is supplied by the radial nerve.
Will a patient be able to extend their elbow if they have damage to the radial nerve?
No, because both elbow extensors are supplied by the radial nerve (C6-C8)
Where is the radial nerve located and what can damage it?
The radial nerve is located in the radial groove or spiral groove on the posterior humerus. A fracture of the humerus can damage the radial nerve which will in turn affect extension of the elbow.
Major flexors and extensors at elbow
- Biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis
- Triceps brachii, anconeus
Path of musculocutaneous nerve
Comes off lateral cord, supplies biceps brachii, brachial and coracobrachialis, goes through biceps brachii, comes out and forms lateral cutaneous nerve
What group of people most commonly injure their medial or ulnar collateral ligament
Baseball pitchers ( corrected by tommy john’s surgery)
If a person has shortened biceps, they may have trouble with
Full extension at the elbow
If a person has shortened triceps, they may have trouble with
Full flexion at the elbow
What is going to limit radial deviation
Ulnar collateral ligament and bony structures (if ulnar collateral ligament is torn, bony structures will still limit radial deviation)
What is going to limit ulnar deviation
Radial collateral ligament will limit ulnar deviation
Which is stronger: anterior or posterior radoiocarpal ligaments
Anterior radiocarpal ligament
What is the function of the scapholunate ligament?
To stabilize the scaphoid bone
What is the function of the lunotriquetral ligament
To stabilize the proximal medial row of carpal bones
A fracture to the wrist can fracture the scaphoid bone but can also damage what?
The scapholunate ligament. This often goes undiagnosed. Although the fracture will heal, the patient will still have instability in their wrist because the ligament is not healed.
Ligaments at the mid carpal or interracial joints include
Anterior and posterior ligaments (anterior fibers run obliquely).and interracial ligaments
What is the most important action of the flexor digitorum superficialis?
Flexion at the PIP joint of digits 2-5 (although it also flexes the wrist and MCP)
Movement of thumb toward the palm
flexion of thumb at cmc joint
Lateral epicondylosis (Tennis Elbow)
- Inflammation of the extensor muscles that attach to the lateral epicondyle due to repeated overuse
- Major symptoms: pain with wrist extension, tenderness over lateral epicondyle, weak grip
- Mostly associated with extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum, and extensor carpi radialis longus
- If a person complains of pain in the lateral elbow, there is probably some kind of pain affecting this
- Problems with gripping because your wrist should be in 20-30 degrees of extension to grip or do gross motor activities, you get pain with extension with lateral epicondylitis
- itis = acute/inflammation
- osis = disease/chronic
What innervates the flexor digitorum profundus
Index and middle (tendons 2+3) – Anterior interosseus branch of median nerve (C8-T1)
Ring and pinky (tendons 4+5) - ulnar nerve (C8-T1)
What would happen to pronation if the median nerve was injured?
Pronation wouldn’t be possible because both pronators (pronator trees and pronator quadratus) are innervated by the median nerve. An alternative to pronation would be internal rotation of the shoulder
What symptoms will someone from carpal tunnel have and why?
Someone with carpal tunnel will complain of numbness in their first three fingers and half of the fourth digit. Because their median nerve which innervates these fingers is compressed. This happens for two reasons: 1. They overuse their muscles in repetitive actions (meat packing, typing), and the tendons that run through the carpal tunnel get inflamed and they compress the median nerve or 2. They have osteoarthritis or arthritis and the carpal tunnel space itself gets small.
What is the solution to carpal tunnel?
Surgery that cuts some of the flexor retinaculum back so that the carpal tunnel space is bigger. It will eventually come back but not as tight.
Ligaments at MCP joints (2-5)
- Collateral ligaments (Cord and fan parts)
- taut in 70 to 90 degrees of flexion
- loosed or shortened in extension
- ex. in a cast that goes over MCP joints, and causes immobility and constant extension, your collateral ligaments will get shortened or loosed and you will be unable to flex again (develop extension contractors)
-Volar plates - fibrocartilogenous structuresreinforce joint capsule anteriorly and prevent anterior dislocation
What nerves supply the volar forearm
Median nerve (some anterior interosseus branches) and ulnar nerve
Ligaments at CMC joint of thumb
- 5 ligaments - provide stability to the thumb
- Since the joint capsule is so loose, count on ligaments to provide stability (once they are stretched they can’t go back unless it is with surgery)
- Radial and ulnar collateral ligaments
- Anterior and posterior oblique ligaments
- Intermetacarpal ligament