Radial Nerve
Within the axilla, the radial nerve lies posterior to the axillary artery, and subsequently upon the subscapularis and latissimus dorsi muscles while anterior to the teres major muscle. Here it…
NEUROLOGY
Distal Median Neuropathies: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The clinical signs of CTS may be quite variable on neurologic examination; early, there are often no specific findings. In this instance, sometimes typical CTS symptoms can be precipitated by…
Proximal Median Neuropathies
PRIMARY MEDIAN TRUNK All median nerve function is potentially compromised with very proximal lesions. In contrast to the patient with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) experiencing finger paresthesias, median trunk lesions…
Median Nerve
UPPER ARM The median nerve is derived from the major cervical nerve roots (C5-8) and a minor first thoracic (T1) nerve root contribution. Within the axilla, various fascicles of these…
Distal Median Nerve
Anteriorly, within the carpal tunnel, the median nerve is bounded by the stiff flexor retinaculum and posteriorly by the carpal bones. In contrast, the ulnar nerve does not travel through…
Proximal Nerves of the Upper Extremity: Suprascapular and Musculocutaneous Nerves
The axillary (circumflex humeral) (C5, 6) and radial (C6, 7) nerves are the primary derivatives of the posterior cord of the brachial plexus. Descending behind the axillary vessels, the axillary…
Electrodiagnostic Studies in Compression Neuropathy
Each peripheral nerve has a unique clinical anatomic signature vis-à-vis motor and sensory deficits when these nerves are compromised. This is illustrated by the seemingly complicated cutaneous sensory distribution of…
Radiologic Studies in Compression Neuropathy
MONONEUROPATHY: DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES Sometimes clinical neurologic examination is not precise enough to provide early diagnosis of mononeuropathies. Electrodiagnostic studies are the method of choice for defining the precise anatomic distribution…
Proximal Nerves of the Upper Extremity: Spinal Accessory Nerve
The clinical demonstration of weakness and atrophy specific to one of these nerves provides important differential diagnostic clues. Typically, the patient with a primary orthopedic problem, such as a rotator…
Chronic Nerve Compression
Ischemia and endoneurial edema also contribute to the pathology of nerves that sustain chronic compression; modest pressure magnitudes develop, such as occurs with median nerve compression in the carpal tunnel…
