Question

List the roots that give rise to the brachial plexus

List the most common syndromes that arise from an injury of the roots of the brachial plexus

Organize the brachial plexus based on its divisions

List the functions of each terminal branch of the brachial plexus

Organize the sensory innervation of the upper limb based on the specific branch of the brachial plexus

List the most common places for an injury of a terminal branch of the brachial plexus (example:

Radial nerve at the radial groove)

Identify the location of an injury of the brachial plexus based on the neurological deficits

Contrast a proximal ulnar nerve injury with a distal ulnar nerve injury

Contrast a proximal median nerve injury with a distal median nerve injury

List the signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome

Answer 1

a)The five roots are the five anterior rami of the spinal nerves C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1.

b)Syndromes

Parsonage-Turner syndrome is an uncommon neurological disorder characterized by rapid onset of severe pain in the shoulder and arm. The pain can lst for few hours to weeks followed by wasting of muscles and loss of function.

Thoracic outlet syndrome-affects mainly the upper limbs, with signs and symptoms manifesting in the shoulders, neck, arms and hands. Pain can be present on an intermittent or permanent basis.

Burner syndrome also known as stingers, is a stretch or compression injury to the brachial plexus.

c)Brachial plexus

The brachial plexus is divided into five roots, three trunks, six divisions, three cords, and five branches.

1. The five roots are the five anterior rami of the spinal nerves C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1.
2. These roots merge to form the trunks superior C5&6, middle C7, inferior C8&T1

3. Each trunk then splits in two, to form six divisions

• anterior divisions of the upper, middle, and lower trunks

• posterior divisions of the upper, middle, and lower trunks

4.These six divisions regroup to become the three cords or large fiber bundles. The cords are named by their position with respect to the axillary artery.

5. These terminal branches are the musculocutaneous nerve, the axillary nerve, the radial nerve, the median nerve, and the ulnar nerve.

d) function of the divisions -cutaneous and muscular innervation of the entire upper limb. gives the sensory and motor supply.

j)CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME

signs and symptoms- numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the thumb and fingers, in particular the index and middle fingers and radial half of the ring finger, because these receive their sensory and motor function (muscle control) from the median nerve.

Numbness and paresthesias in the median nerve distribution are pathognomic symptoms (NS) of carpal tunnel entrapment syndrome.