Pain Syndromes Flashcards
Cubital Bursitis
Pain the front of the elbow (antecubital area)
Cubital Bursitis (bicipitalradial bursa)
NSAIDs
Bursae injection
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow
Confirmation of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
EMG
Untreated Cubital tunnel Syndrome
May develop weakness in the hand
Atrophy of the hand muscles
Permanent flexion contractures of the fingers
Cubital tunnel Syndrome Treatment
NSAIDS
Steroid injections
Surgery
Cubital Tunnel Presentation
Produces pain and numbness from the inside back of the elbow down to the wrist and into the inside fourth and fifth finger
May lead to small muscle wasting of the hand and the ulnar side of the forearm
Pronator Teres Syndrome
Compression of the median nerve proximal to the carpal tunnel by the pronator teres muscle resulting in pain in the forearm
Pronator Teres Syndrome Presentation
- “tiredness” in the foream
- Clumsiness and weakness of the hand muscles (index/middle finger)
- Pain and numbness in the hand in the same pattern as carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Symptoms worsened by repetitive pronation and supination
Pronator Teres Syndrome
Negative Tinel’s Sign
Cause of Pronator Teres Syndrome
The syndrome is caused by inflammation of the muscle of the forearm responsible for rotating the hand from palm up to palm down position.
Cause of Pronator teres Syndrome
Activities such as repetitive elbow movements in chopping wood, rowing a boat, etc
Test for pronator teres syndrome
The pronator test is placing the elbow on a table and turning the palm down. The patient is instructed to resist the examiner rotating the palm upwards. If pain is produced in the forearm during this process, there is a positive pronator sign.
Treatment of pronator teres syndrome
NSAIDS Rest of the arm and elbow Avoidance of the repetitive triggering activity Steroid injections Surgery is rarely required.
Lateral epicondylitis presentation
Provoked pain of the lateral proximal forearm and lateral elbow with resisted wrist extension
Anterior interosseous nerve
Motor nerve only
Branch of median nerve
Anterior interosseous nerve
Innervates deep muscles of he forearm:
FPL (thumb), FDP to the( index and middle fingers), pronator quadratus
Anterior interosseous nerve Presentation
No motor function of the three muscles
Unable to make the “O” sign
Posterior Interosseous nerve
Purely motor nerve that branches from the radial nerve
Posterior Interosseous nerve
Consider in patients with weakness of the finger extensors
Severe cases may show radial deviation of the wrist with wrist extension
Posterior Interosseous Nerve presentation
Inability to extend thumb and other fingers
Lack of sensory disturbance