Upper/Lower Limb — MCQs

A 2-day-old boy is evaluated in the nursery for minimal movement in his left upper limb. He was born at 41 weeks gestation by an assisted forceps-vaginal delivery to a 42-year-old obese woman. Birth weight was 4.4 kg (9.7 lb). The mother had 4 previous vaginal deliveries, all requiring forceps. Examinations of the left upper limb show that the arm hangs by his side and is rotated medially. His forearm is extended and pronated, and his wrist and fingers are flexed. Moro reflex is present only on the right side. Which of the following muscles was spared from the injury sustained during delivery?

A 12-year-old boy is brought to his orthopedic surgeon for evaluation of leg pain and positioning. Specifically, over the past several months he has been complaining of thigh pain and has more difficulty sitting in his wheelchair. His medical history is significant for spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy since birth and has undergone a number of surgeries for contractures in his extremities. At this visit his legs are found to be scissored such that they cross each other at the knees and are difficult to separate. Surgery is performed and the boy is placed into a cast that keeps his legs abducted to prevent scissoring. Overactivity of the muscles innervated by which of the following nerves is most consistent with this patient's deformity?

A 25-year-old man was referred to a neurologist for right-hand weakness. He was involved in a motor vehicle accident 2 months ago in which his right hand was injured. On examination, his grip is weak, especially in fingers 2, 4, and 5 and he is unable to adduct these fingers. Which of the following groups of muscles is most likely affected?

A 25-year-old woman comes to the physician because of pain and weakness in her right forearm and hand for several months. Two years ago, she sustained a fracture of her ulnar shaft with dislocation of the radial head that was treated surgically. Physical examination shows mild tenderness a few centimeters distal to the lateral epicondyle. She has marked weakness when attempting to extend her right middle finger. There is radial deviation on extension of the wrist. Sensation is not impaired. Which of the following nerves is most likely affected in this patient?

A 6-year-old boy is brought to the physician because he has a limp for 3 weeks. He was born at term and has been healthy since. His immunization are up-to-date; he received his 5th DTaP vaccine one month ago. He is at 50th percentile for height and weight. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 80/min and respirations are 28/min. When asked to stand only on his right leg, the left pelvis sags. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these findings?

A 61-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with right hand pain and numbness. She was jogging around her neighborhood when she tripped and fell on her outstretched hand 3 hours prior to presentation. She reports severe wrist pain and numbness along the medial aspect of her hand. Her past medical history is notable for osteoporosis and gastroesophageal reflux disease. She takes omeprazole. She has a 10-pack-year smoking history. She has severe tenderness to palpation diffusely around her right wrist. She has decreased sensation to light touch along the palmar medial 2 digits. Sensation to light touch is normal throughout the palm and in the lateral 3 digits. When she is asked to extend all of her fingers, her 4th and 5th fingers are hyperextended at the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and flexed at the interphalangeal (IP) joints. Which of the following nerves is most likely affected in this patient?

A 45-year-old man comes to the physician for the evaluation of limited mobility of his right hand for 1 year. The patient states he has had difficulty actively extending his right 4th and 5th fingers, and despite stretching exercises, his symptoms have progressed. He has type 2 diabetes mellitus. He has been working as a mason for over 20 years. His father had similar symptoms and was treated surgically. The patient has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 25 years and drinks 2–3 beers every day after work. His only medication is metformin. Vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows skin puckering near the proximal flexor crease. There are several painless palmar nodules adjacent to the distal palmar crease. Active and passive extension of the 4th and 5th digits of the right hand is limited. Which of the following is the most likely underlying mechanism of this patient's symptoms?

A 17-year-old teenager is brought to the emergency department with severe bleeding from his right hand. He was involved in a gang fight about 30 minutes ago where he received a penetrating stab wound by a sharp knife in the region of the ‘anatomical snuffbox’. A vascular surgeon is called in for consultation. Damage to which artery is most likely responsible for his excessive bleeding?

A 20-year-old man comes to the clinic complaining of shoulder pain for the past week. He is a pitcher for the baseball team at his university and reports that the pain started shortly after a game. The pain is described as achy and dull, intermittent, 7/10, and is concentrated around the right shoulder area. He denies any significant medical history, trauma, fever, recent illness, or sensory changes but endorses some difficulty lifting his right arm. A physical examination demonstrates mild tenderness of the right shoulder. When the patient is instructed to resist arm depression when holding his arms parallel to the floor with the thumbs pointing down, he reports significant pain of the right shoulder. Strength is 4/5 on the right and 5/5 on the left with abduction of the upper extremities. What nerve innervates the injured muscle in this patient?

A 72-year-old woman presents to the emergency department complaining of left gluteal pain for the last 3 months. The onset of the pain was gradual and she does not recall any trauma to the region. She describes the pain as sharp and progressive, with radiation down the posterior left thigh to the level of the knee. She is a non-smoker without a history of anticoagulant therapy. Her past medical history is significant for peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The physical examination focusing on the left gluteal region reveals atrophy and muscle weakness. The blood cell count and blood chemistry profile are within normal limits. The suspected embolus was confirmed with a pelvic computed tomography scan demonstrating a heterogeneously-enhanced blockage in the deep branch of the superior gluteal artery. The patient underwent an uneventful super-selective embolization and recovered well. Complete occlusion of this artery may cause muscle ischemia and atrophy that would compromise the ability to perform which of the following actions?