Clinical Testing of the Spinal Nerves Flashcards
List some somatic general sensory symptoms
pain (neuralgia)
pins & needles (paraesthesia)
numbness (anaesthesia)
sensitivity (hyperaesthesia)
temperature perceptions
loss of co-ordination/balance/clumsiness (e.g. ataxia)
List some somatic motor symptoms
muscle stiffness, tightness or spasm (cramp)
muscle floppiness or looseness (reduced tone or hypotonia)
muscular weakness (reduced power)
loss of co-ordination/balance/clumsiness (e.g. ataxia)
How to we test each spinal nerve segment?
Sensory functions - dermatomes
Motor function - myotomes
Both of the above simultaneously - spinal cord reflexes
How do we question the pathology of a spinal nerve?
Is it affecting a single dermatome / myotome? Or more than one? Which segment?
Is it part of the distribution area of a named nerve? does it contain axons from more than 1 spinal nerve?
Is it affecting either the anterior or posterior ramus? Or a single spinal nerve?
Is it affecting either posterior or anterior root?
How do we question the integrity of the CNS with respect to the pathology?
Is the pathology within a CNS ascending tract, or a CNS descending tract?
Or the primary somatosensory coretx?
Within the primary somatomotor cortex?
Label the Dermotome map with remarkable locations
Cutaneous nerve diagram
Label the periphral cutaneous nerves of the head and neck, including their spinal origins
How are the thoracic cutaneous nerves named?
T1-T12
Although the anterior T12 dermatome is innervated by the ‘subcostal nerve’ (ant. ramus T12)
Label cutaneous innervation of the upper limb
Note that spinal nerves in brackets provide some dermatomal overlaps
Label cutaneus innervation of the lower limbs
Note that spinal nerves in brackets provide some dermatomal overlaps
What muscle groups are innervated by each plexus?
- Cervical plexus
- Brachial plexus
- Thoracic
- Lumbosacral
-Cervical (C1-C4)
Neck postural & strap muscles
Diaphragm
-Brachial (C5-T1)
Muscles of the upper limb
Extrinsic back muscles
-Thoracic (T2-L3)
Postural back muscles
Intercostal muscles anterolateral
abdominal wall muscles
-Lumbosacral (L1-S4)
Muscles of the lower limb
Perineal skeletal muscles
Detail the clinical testing of the shoulder joint spinal nerves
Detail the clinical testing of the elbow joint spinal nerves
Detail the clinical testing of the finger joints spinal nerves
Detail the clinical testing of the wrist joint spinal nerves