Upper Limb Nerve Injuries Flashcards
What is a myelopathy?
Spinal cord injury
What is affected in a Myelopathy (spinal cord injury)?
Anything below the injury
So you get a neural level
What is a clinical neural level?
The lowest functional level of sensation and motor function
What is a radiculopathy?
Spinal nerve injury
Only the 1 spinal nerve is damaged
What is affected as a result of a radiculopathy (spinal nerve injury?
Only the affected spinal nerves Dermatome and Myotome
What is peripheral neuropathy?
A peripheral nerve injury (made up from multiple spinal nerves)
What is affected as a result of a peripheral nerve injury?
Loss of that specific nerves function
What is the most common direction of intervertebral disc herniation?
Posterolateral/paracentral
In the lumbar spine where does the nerve root emerge with respect to its corresponding spinal vertebra?
Below its vertebra
In the cervical spine where does the spinal nerve root emerge with respect to its corresponding vertebra?
Above its corresponding vertebra
What spinal nerve root is compressed in a paracentral disc herniation of the lumbar spine?
Traversing root
What spinal nerve root is compressed in a paracentral disc herniation of the cervical spine?
The emerging root
What are the 4 types of nerve injury?
4 S’s
Stretched (traction)
Squashed (compressed)
Severed (laceration)
Stressed (underlying conditions)
What are the 3 types of nerve damage in the Sedonn classification?
I Neuropraxia
II Axonotmesis
III Neurotmesis
What is neuropraxia?
Is the axon in tact?
Is the connective tissue in tact (endo, peri and Epineurium)?
Does wallerian degeneration happen?
When the myelin sheath is damaged affecting conduction
Yes
Yes
No Wallerian degeneration
What is Axonotmesis?
Is the axon in tact?
Is the connective tissue in tact (endo, peri and Epineurium)?
Does wallerian degeneration happen?
Disruption of the axon
Axon not in tact
Connective tissue in tact
Yes Wallerian degeneration distal from damage
What is Neurotmesis?
Is the axon in tact?
Is the connective tissue in tact (endo, peri and Epineurium)?
Does wallerian degeneration happen?
When the axon and the connective tissue is cut
Axon not in tact
CT not in tact
Yes Wallerian degeneration
What are the nerve roots of the Musculocutaneous nerve?
C5, C6 and C7
What is the mechanism of damage to the Musculocutaneous nerve?
Trauma to the armpit (axilla)/Iatrogenic
What is the motor innervation of the musculocutaneous nerve?
Biceps brachii
Brachialis
Coracobrachialis
Why when the musculocutaneous nerve is damaged is Flexion at the elbow only weakened not lost?
Brachioradialis is a flexor of the elbow but is supplied by the radial nerve
What sensory supply is lost as a result of musculocutaneous nerve damage?
Lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm
(The lateral aspect of the forearm)
What are the nerve roots of the Axillary nerve?
C5 and C6
What can lead to Axillary nerve damage?
Anterior shoulder dislocation
Surgical neck of humerus fracture
Compression in axilla
What 2 muscles are supplied by the Axillary nerve?
Deltoid
Teres Minor
What is the function of deltoid?
Abduction 15-90º
Flexion, internal rotation, extension and external rotation
What is the function of teres minor?
External rotation
What motor function is affected as a result of Axillary nerve damage?
Abduction 15-90º lost due to deltoid affected
External rotation weakness due to deltoid and teres minor affected
What sensory region is lost as a result of Axillary nerve damage?
Regimental badge region
What nerve roots form the long thoracic nerve?
C5, C6 and C7
What is the mechanism of damage to the long thoracic nerve?
Blunt trauma
Iatrogenic (mastectomy, when the lymph nodes in the axilla are removed
What muscle loses its innervation when the long thoracic nerve is damaged?
Serratus anterior