The Median Nerve

Question 1

What are the nerve roots of the median nerve?

Answer 1

C6 and T1

Question 2

What muscles does the median nerve innervate?

Answer 2

The anterior compartment of the forearm, the thenar muscles and the lateral two lumbricals

Question 3

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?

Answer 3

Compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel

Question 4

What are some of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?

Answer 4

Numbnees, tingling and pain in the distrubtion of the median nerve.

Question 5

How would you test for carpal tunnel syndrome?

Answer 5

Tapping the nerve in the carpal tunnel to eleiccit tinnels sign or holding the wrist in flexion for 60 seconds to cause numbness or pain in the distrubution of the median nerve

Question 6

How would you treat carpal tunnel?

Answer 6

Use of a splint to hold the wrist in felxion overnight, or possibly decompression surgery or corticosteriod injections

Question 7

How can the median nerve be damaged at the elbow?

Answer 7

By a supracondylar fracture of the humerus

Question 8

What would be some of the characteristic signs of a median nerve injury?

Answer 8

Thenar eminence is wasted by an atrophy of the thenar muscles, if a patient tries to make a fist only the little and ring fingers can flex which produces a characteristic shape known as the hand of benediction

Question 9

How can the median nerve be damaged at the wrist?

Answer 9

Lacerations just above the flexor retainculum