Neuro Exam

Question 1

Signs of suprascapular nerve injury and possible cause?

Answer 1

“Sweeney” - atrophy of muscles and lateral subluxation of the shoulder on weight bearing
Cause - blunt trauma or collision

Question 2

Clinical signs of radial nerve injury and possible cause?

Answer 2

Unable to lock elbow in extension (dorsal pastern on the ground)
Cause - humeral fracture/post compression after GA

Question 3

Signs of brachial plexus injury and possible cause?

Answer 3

Radial nerve paralysis +- sweeney
May have triceps atrophy
Cause - compression or nerve roots between scapula and ribs

Question 4

Signs of musculocutaneous nerve injury?

Answer 4

Uncommon - may overextend elbow, loss of sensation of medial forearm - ultimately brachial/biceps atrophy

Question 5

Signs of median and ulnar nerve injury?

Answer 5

Uncommon - stiff, goose stepping gait, hyper extension of the carpus, fetlock and pastern

Question 6

Signs of femoral nerve injury and possible cause?

Answer 6

Cannot extend stifle, cannot bear weight, no patellar reflex - leads to quadriceps atrophy after 10-14 days
Cause - blunt trauma or post GA

Question 7

Signs of sciatic nerve injury and cause?

Answer 7

Poor flexion - stifle and hock extended and fetlock flexed when not bearing weight - rests dorsal surface of the foot - if foot is extended then can support weight
Causes - post GA or after IM injections in foals

Question 8

Signs of tibial nerve injury?

Answer 8

Uncommon - stringhalt like gait and hock flexion at rest. Loss of sensation caudal limb distal to the hock, most of caudal and medial coronary band

Question 9

Signs of peroneal nerve injury and cause?

Answer 9

Cannot flex hock and extend digits - short protraction, can be a component of sciatic nerve injury
Loss of sensation craniolateral limb from hock to fetlock
Cause - injury as it passes across the lateral surface of the tibia - kick or blow here or post GA