MSK 5 Flashcards
What major muscle groups are used in adduction of the humerus?
-pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi
How does the serratus anterior act as a stabilizer of the scapula?
- scapula is hung by the trapezius and the levator scapulae
- if you have a flexed arm and put pressure on it, scapula will get pushed back so you need the serratus anterior to keep it stuck to thoracic cage
Is it common to get a lesion of the pectoralis minor muscle?
-no because it is innervated by two nerves off of the brachial plexus
What is the serratus anterior muscle innervated by?
- nerve that is superficial then dives deep into muscular branches
- very flat nerve
- long thoracic nerve (C5, C6, C7)
- crosses over many ribs so there are multiple points where it could be crushed
- often injured if you fall and put your hands out to catch your fall
- this impairs the ability to stabilize the scapula and protract
What gives rise to a winged scapula?
- lesion to the long thoracic nerve (C5, C6, C7)
- pectoralis minor is left to do all of the stabilization of the scapula and nothing anchoring the medial border of the scapula
- if you ask patient to press against a wall, pec minor is trying to keep the scapula against thoracic cage but serratus anterior has no innervation so you get the medial border of the scapula sticking out
How can shoulder separation occur?
- land on the tip of shoulder or football player tackling people with the acromion which drives the acromion downwards and separates it from the clavicle
- most common damage is to the acromioclavicular ligament (but all 3 could be damaged)
How does shoulder dislocation occur?
- humerus dislocates from its position articulating with the glenoid fossa
- arm in hyperabducted position then arm is pulled backwards-humerus will pop out
- head of humerus is pulled downwards because there is a hole in the rotator cuff that allows it only to go underneath; will end up underneath the coracoid process
- pectoral muscles pull it more medially
- can’t feel the coracoid process
What can happen to nerves with a shoulder dislocation?
- humerus puts traction on nerves that are closely associated with bones
- axillary nerve wraps around surgical head of the humerus to get to the deltoid muscle
- axillary nerve innervates lateral shoulder so you get loss of ability abduct shoulder and loss of sensation in that skin area
- traction on the musculocutaneous nerve which gives rise to loss of sensation on the lateral forearm
- look for loss of sensation of superficial distribution of the nerves at risk because lots of pain would be involved in seeing if they could contract biceps, etc.
What is the purpose of the rotator cuff muscles?
-to help with movement but mostly to hold the humerus onto the scapula
Where is the supraspinatus located and what does it do?
- initiates abduction of the arm
- first 20 degrees
- gets the middle deltoid muscle fibres parallel
- deep to the deltoid
What nerve innervates the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles?
- suprascapular nerve
- runs through a small hole in the bone to get to the muscles which is an area that it can get entrapped
- lesion of the suprascapular nerve will cause difficulty with initiating abduction
What can happen to nerves with a fracture of the humerus?
- can get traction on the axillary nerve
- these patients may be able to initiate abduction to 20 degrees but may not be able to abduct from 20 to 90 degrees
What happens in a rotator cuff injury?
- not much tendon in the rotator cuff
- muscles can tear
- after you let it go too long, the muscle will contract and the edges of the tear will separate even further from one another
What is the bicep innervated by?
- musculocutaneous nerve
- muscle has two heads (so it is called BIcep)
- antagonistic to tricep
What is the tricep innervated by?
- radial nerve
- has three heads (so called TRIcep)
- antagonistic to bicep (this is the extensor, bicep is flexor)
What are the actions of the bicep?
- radius can rotate in its socket
- contraction of bicep causes supination of the forearm
- another tendon that inserts on connective tissue of the ulna (aponeurosis) so when bicep contracts, you get flexion of the elbow and glenohumeral joint
What are the actions of the tricep brachii?
- inserts at olecranon process of the ulna
- extension of the forearm
What is this and what action does it contribute to?
- forearm flexion
- bicipital aponeurosis