Upper limb examination

Question 1

What are you testing through shoulder abduction?

Answer 1

C5, axillary nerve

Question 2

What are you testing through shoulder adduction?

Answer 2

C7

Question 3

What are you testing through elbow flexion?

Answer 3

C5/C6, musculocutaneous nerve

Question 4

What are you testing through elbow extension?

Answer 4

C7, radial

Question 5

What are you testing through wrist extension?

Answer 5

C7 (6), radial

Question 6

What are you testing through wrist flexion?

Answer 6

C7 (8), medial/ulnar

Question 7

What are you testing through finger extension?

Answer 7

C8 (7), radial

Question 8

What are you testing through spreading fingers?

Answer 8

T1, ulnar

Question 9

What are you testing through thumb abduction?

Answer 9

T1 (8), median

Question 10

Axillary nerve palsy

Answer 10

Loss of shoulder abduction
Deltoid patch sensory loss
Reflexes in tact

Question 11

Radial nerve palsy

Answer 11

Loss of elbow extension, wrist extension, and finger extension
Radial dermatome - back of arm and dorsum of thumb and 1st two digits proximally

Question 12

Median nerve palsy

Answer 12

Loss of thumb abduction and some of wrist flexion
Median nerve distribution

Question 13

Ulnar nerve palsy

Answer 13

Clawing of the hand
Loss of finger abduction and some of wrist flexion
Ulnar nerve distribution

Question 14

Which muscles of the hand are supplied by the median nerve?

Answer 14

Lateral two lumbricals
Opponens pollicus
Abductor pollicis brevis
Flexor pollicis brevis