Upper limb Flashcards
How do you test Sterno-cleido-mastoid
turn the head to right or left against resistance (Nerve- spinal accessory, CN XI & C3,4)
How do you test Trapezius
raise both shoulders against resistance (Nerve- spinal accessory, CN XI C3,4)
How do you test Pectoralis major
adduct the abducted arm against resistance (Nerves-lateral & medial pectoral C5,6,7,8,T1)
How do you test Serratus anterior
Ask the patient to push their arm out (protract their shoulder) against your resistance whilst you palpate serratus anterior (Nerve-Long thoracic C5,6)
How do you test Teres major
adduct the arm against resistance. See and palpate the muscle in the posterior axillary fold (Nerve-Lower subscapular C5,6)
How do you test Latissimus dorsi
Abduct arm to 90 degrees, then adduct against resistance whilst the elbow is flexed. See and palpate the muscle in the posterior axillary fold (Nerve-Thoraco dorsal C6,7,8)
How do you test Deltoid
abduct the upper arm against resistance with the arm flexed to 90o at the elbow whilst you palpate the deltoid. (Nerve = axillary C5,6)
What condition arises from damage to the long thoracic nerve?
Winging of the scapula
What nerve roots does the triceps reflex test?
C7, 8
What are the boundaries of the anatomical snuffbox?
Medial border:
- Tendon of extensor pollicus longus
Lateral border:
- Tendon of extensor pollicus brevis
- Tendon of extensor abductor pollicus
Proximal border:
- Styloid process of radius
Floor:
- Scaphoid
- Trapezium
What movement is possible at the scapulo-thoracic joint?
- Protraction
- Retraction
- Elevation
- Depression

What movements are possible at the shoulder joint?
- Flexion/Extension
- Abduction/Adduction
- Lateral/Medial rotation
- Circumduction

What movements are possible at the elbow joint?
- Flexion/Extension

What movements are possible at the Proximal and distal radio-ulnar joints?
Pronation/supination
- Pronation = palm facing the pavement
- Supination = palm facing the sky

What movements are possible at the wrist joint?
- Flexion/Extension
- Ulnar/radial deviation

What movements are possible at the carpo-metacarpal joints of the thumb and other fingers?
- 1st joint (thumb) = flexion/etension abduction/adduction opposition/reposition
- 2nd and 3rd = effectively no movement possible
- 4th and 5th =
What movements are possible at the metacarpo-phalangeal joints?
- Mainly flexion
To a limited extent can also:
- Extend
- Radial deviate
- Ulnar deviate
- Circumduct
Why is the wrist joint called the radiocarpal joint?
- Only the radius articulates with the carpal bones (scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum)
- The ulnar is separated from the carpal bones by the articular disc that stabilises the distal radio-ulnar joint during pronation

What is the carpal tunnel formed of?
Carpal bones
Flexor retinaculum
What are the contents of the carpal tunnel?
- 4 tendons of the flexor digitorium profundus
- 4 tendons of the flexor digitorium superficialis
- The 1 tendon of flexor pollicus longus
- Median nerve
What movements are possible at the interphalangeal joints?
Flexion (more extensive)
Extension
What nerve and nerve roots innervate serratus anterior?
Long thoracic
C5,6
What is the action of pectoralis major?
Acts on the humerus to:
- Adducts
- Flex
- Medially rotate
What nerve and nerve roots innervate latissimus dorsi?
Thoraco dorsal
C6,7,8
What are the functions of latissimus dorsi?
Acts on the upper limb to:
- Extend
- Adduct
- Medially rotate
What are the parts of the trapezius muscle?
From superior to inferior:
- Descending
- Transverse
- Ascending
What are the actions of the trapezius?
Acts on the scapula to:
- Elevate and rotate
- Retract
- Depress
Which nerve and its spinal roots innervate the trapezius muscle?
spinal accessory, CN XI
C3,4
What are the actions of serratus anterior?
Acts on the scapula to:
- Laterally rotate
- Protract against the ribcage
How do you test pectoralis major?
- Apply resistance to the patient adducting their arm whilst their elbow is flexed
* Palpate pec major - Apply resistance whilst the patient medially rotates their forearm
* Palpate pec major - Apply resistance whilst the patient flexes their arm at the elbow joint
* Palpate pec major
What are the actions of deltoid?
Abduct the arm
What nerve and nerve root innervates deltoid?
axillary
C5,6
What nerves innervate the rotator cuff muscles?
- Subscapularis -upper and lower subscapular nerves
- Supraspinatus - suprascapular nerve
- Infraspinatus - suprascapular nerve
- Teres minor - axilliary nerve
What are the actions of the rotator cuff muscles?
- Subscapularis - Medially rotates the arm
- Supraspinatus - Main abductor or arm to 15o
- Infraspinatus - Laterally rotates the arm
- Teres Minor - Laterally rotates the arm
How do you test the rotator cuff muscles?
Apley’s scratch test
- To assess lateral rotation and abduction
* Ask the patient to put their hand behind their neck whilst you provide resistance - To assess medial rotation (subscapularis)
* Ask the patient to put their hand as far up their back as possible starting from the inferior part of their back whilst you provide resistance

What are the actions of biceps brachii?
Flexor and supinator of the forearm
How do you test biceps brachii?
- Stabilise the elbow
- Ask the patient to flex their elbow whilst you provide resistance
What are the muscles of the anterior compartment of the arm?
Biceps brachii
Brachialis
Coracobrachialis
What are the muscles in the anterior compartment of the arm innervated by?
Musculocutaneous nerve
What are the actions of triceps brachii?
Extension of the forearm and some adduction of the arm
What is triceps brachii innervated by?
Radial nerve
How do you test the function of triceps brachii?
- Stabilise the elbow
- Ask the patient to extend the elbow whilst you provide resistance
What are the pronators of the forearm?
Mainly:
- Pronator teres
- Pronator quadratus
Slightly:
- Flexor carpi radialis
- Palmaris longus
- Brachioradialis
How do you test the pronators of the forearm?
- stabilise the elbow
- hold the patient’s hand as if you were shaking their hand
- ask them to pronate their forearm (pronation is turning the palm to the pavement) whilst you provide resistance
What are the pronators of the forearm innervated by?
Pronator teres, pronator quadratus, Flexor carpi radialis and Palmaris longus = median nerve
Brachioradialis = radial nerve
What are the supinators of the forearm?
Mainly:
- Supinator
- Biceps
Slightly:
- Extensor pollicus longus
- Extensor carpi radialis longus
How do you test the supinators of the forearm?
- stabilise the elbow
- hold the patient’s hand as if you were shaking their hand
- ask them to supinate their forearm (supination is turning the palm to the sky) whilst you provide resistance
What are the supinators of the forearm innervated by?
- Biceps - musculocutaneous nerve
- Supinator - radial
- Extensor pollicus longus - median nerve
- Extensor carpi radialis longus - radial nerve
What are the superficial wrist flexors of the forearm?
Mainly:
- Flexor carpi radialis
- Flexor carpi ulnaris
Slightly:
- Palmaris longus
How would you test the superficial wrist flexors of the forearm?
- Ask the patient to flex their elbow and hold it like a boxer
- Then ask them to pronate their wrist
- Then ask them to flex their wrist to have their palm facing the floor whilst you provide resistance
What innervates the superficial wrist flexors of the forearm?
- Flexor carpi radialis - median
- Flexor carpi ulnaris - ulna
- Palmaris longus - median
What are the muscles of the anterior forearm?
- Superficial
- Pronator teres
- Flexor carpi radialis
- Flexor carpi ulnaris
- Palmaris longus
- Intermediate
* Flexor digitorium superficialis - Deep
- Flexor digitorium profundus
- Pronator quadratus
- Flexor pollicus longus
What is the action of FDS?
- Flexion of the wrist
- Flexes the metacarpophalangeal joints
- Flexes the proximal interphalangeal joints
What is FDS innervated by?
Median nerve
How do you test FDS?
- Stabilise the joints by grasping the proximal phalanx of all the digits
- Ask the patient to flex their digits at their proximal interphalangeal joints all at once whilst you provide resistance
What bone is the subclavian pulse palpated against?
Rib I
What bone is the ulnar pulse palpated against?
Head of the ulna
What is the superficial venous drainage of the arm?
Cephalic:
- From anatomical snuffbox to axilliary vein above pec minor muscle
- Lateral to biceps brachii
- Radial side
Basilic:
- Ulnar side
- Medial to biceps brachii
- Joins the basilic veins to form the axillary vein

What are the boundaries of the axilla?
Anteriorly:
- pectoralis major and minor
Medially:
- thoracic wall
- serratus anterior
Posteriorly:
- Subscapularis
- Latissimus dorsi
- Teres major
Laterally:
- Intertubercular sulcus of the humerus
Where does the flexor retinaculum attach?
Lateral (radial):
- Scapphoid
- Trapezium
Medial (ulnar):
- Pisiform
- Hook of hamate
Draw the dermatomes of the arm

Draw the cutaneous innervation of the upper limb

What nerve roots does the biceps reflex test?
C5,6
How would you test the motor component of the musculocutaneous nerve?
Flexion of the forearm
How would you test the motor component of the axillary nerve?
Abduction of the arm against resistance
How would you test the motor component of the median nerve?
- Wrist flexion
- Wrist abduction
- Flexion of fingers
How would you test the motor component of the radial nerve?
- Extension of elbow joint, wrist joint and metacarpophalangeal joints
How would you test the motor component of the Median nerve?
- Adduction and abduction of the digits
- Flexion and ulnar deviation at the wrist joint