Limb blood vessels & nerves Flashcards
What artery do you feel when taking a medial brachium pulse
Brachial artery
What artery do you feel when taking a disto-medial antebrachium pulse
Median artery
What artery do you feel when taking a palmar pulse
Superficial palmar artery
What is clinically important about the cephalic vein
It is key for IV access (not so much for blood sampling)
What veins in the forearm need to be ligated in amputation
Brachial and axillobrachial
Where is the pulse mainly taken in the pelvic limb
The femoral artery (medial thigh)
What artery is useful in anaesthesia
Dorsal pedal artery
What occupies the femoral triangle
Femoral artery, femoral vein and femoral nerve
What vein in the pelvic lib is accessible for blood sampling and catheters
Lateral saphenous vein
Plexus: definition
Tangle of nerves
Plexus of the fore limb
Brachial plexus
Plexus of the hind limb
Lumbosacral plexus
What nerves form the brachial plexus
Ventral branches of C6-C8 and T1-T2
What are the nerves of the brachial plexus
Suprascapular, subscapular, musculocutaneous, axillary, radial, median, ulnar (SSMARMU)
What happens when there is damage to the suprascapular nerve (C6-7)
Lateral shoulder muscles atrophy
What happens when there is damage to the musculocutaneous nerve (C7-8)
Elbow flexors lose sensation, over adaptation of pronator teres and carpal extensors
What nerve suppliers the extensor muscles of the forelimb
Radial nerve
What happens when there is proximal damage to the radial nerve
Elbow drops and knuckling of the paw
Why is damage to carpal and elbow flexors more subtle
Flexion is a more passive process
What nerves form the lumbosacral plexus
Ventral branches of L4 to S2/3
What nerves extend from the lumbosacral plexus
Femoral, obturator, gluteal, sciatic and distal extension (tibial and fibular)
What lumbosacral nerve is damaged in most cows, what causes it and what is the presentation
Obturator, caused by traumatic calving
Since the nerve supplies the adductor muscles the cow’s back legs are splayed
What muscle is paralyzed by femoral nerve damage
Quadriceps femoris (animal cannot bear weight)
What is the clinical presentation of sciatic nerve damage and why
Paw knuckles due to unopposed flexion of the digit flexors (extensors are paralyzed)
