You are observing Dr Gasser anaesthetise a patient prior to open rotator cuff repair surgery. She intends to perform a regional nerve block affecting the brachial plexus and asks you about the relevant anatomy.

Between which two muscles do the roots of the brachial plexus emerge?

Which of the following brachial plexus nerve roots continues alone as a trunk?

A competitive motorcyclist is involved in a 'high-side' dismount whereby he is thrown up and over his motorbike, landing hard on his shoulder with his neck flexed toward the contralateral side. He sustains a comminuted open clavicular fracture in addition to an upper rib and proximal humerus fractures.

Which syndrome is he at risk of developing following complete brachial plexus injury (i.e. avulsion of the nerve roots)?

Billy is a ten-year-old who has fallen from a tree. He’s been a fairly lucky ten-year-old, as a primary survey in the emergency department has revealed no issues with his airway, cervical spine, breathing, circulatory system or neurological status. On examination of his limbs, however, he appears to have unfortunately developed a rare deformity whereby the right wrist and metacarpophalangeal joints are held in extension, the interphalangeal joints are flexed, and he has abnormal sensation over the ulnar border of the hand.

Which roots of the brachial plexus do you suspect have been injured?

Mr Vintner is involved in an implausible accident with a sharp piece of glass, which penetrates through pectoralis major and narrowly avoids both pectoralis minor and the axillary artery. It does, however, completely transect his musculocutaneous nerve. He is left virtually unable to flex his right arm and struggles to supinate, to the extent that he can no longer use a corkscrew and has to import wine in screw-top bottles only.

Which of the following structures is NOT innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve or its branches?

As part of your revision of the pathology of carpal tunnel syndrome, you thought it might be a helpful exercise to follow the path of the implicated nerve from the wrist all the way up to the spinal cord.

This particular nerve in question is derived from which two cords of the brachial plexus?

Mr Bloggs has dislocated his shoulder in an ill-advised attempt to jump over a cow. You remember hearing of a medicolegal case in which a doctor was sued for failing to document axillary nerve sensation prior to reducing such a dislocation, and thus being unable to demonstrate that he had not caused the axonotmesis when it was later discovered. You find that Mr Bloggs, fortunately, has intact sensation in the distribution of the axillary nerve.

From which cord of the brachial plexus does the axillary nerve arise?

Which of the following muscles does NOT derive its motor innervation from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus?

Mr Unlucky has never been the superstitious type, frequently crossing paths with black cats and breaking mirrors for fun. Earlier this morning, however, he ducked underneath a ladder in the street and unfortunately received a direct blow to the middle portion of his clavicle from a paint tin from the sky.

Which part of the brachial plexus most commonly lies deep to the clavicle?

Which nerve roots form the lumbar plexus?

Which two nerves have motor functions in the lower limb?

Damage to the L2-L4 spinal roots will NOT affect which of these nerves

Which nerve roots form the sacral plexus?

Which nerve of the sacral plexus innervates the external urethral sphincter?

Damage to which of these nerve roots would prevent the function of gluteus maximus?