Spinal Injuries and Functional Movement Quiz

Damage to Spinal Nerves

• Damage to a cervical nerve root can impact specific muscles and posture, based on the level of the nerve.
• For example, damage to the C5 nerve root can affect the deltoid muscle (shoulder abduction) and the biceps brachii muscle (elbow flexion).

Spine Movement and Effects

• Flexion, extension, lateral bending, and rotation of the spine involve ligaments, muscles, the intervertebral foramen, discs, and facet joints.
• Specific movements can compress or stretch these structures.
• Pelvic tilt affects spinal alignment and can influence the pressure on intervertebral discs.

Deep Back Muscles

• Deep back muscles stabilize the spine and control movement.
• Muscle location influences the moment arm, which affects force production for specific movements.

Arthrokinematics

• Arthrokinematics describes the movements of joint surfaces.
• Understand cervical and lumbar flexion, extension, lateral bending, and rotation.
• Learn how joint surfaces move during these motions.

Suboccipital Area

• The suboccipital region contains muscles, nerves, ligaments, and blood vessels related to the head and neck.
• Arthrokinematics of the occiput and C1 (atlas) involve specific movements for head rotation and flexion.

Sternoclavicular Joint

• Sternoclavicular joint arthrokinematics involve movements of the clavicle and scapula.
• Scapular movements include protraction, retraction, elevation, depression, upward and downward rotation.
• Analyze the relationship between clavicular and scapular movements.

Glenohumeral Joint

• Glenohumeral joint arthrokinematics involve movements of the humerus relative to the glenoid fossa.
• Identify the axis of rotation for the glenohumeral joint.
• Ligaments control the movement and stability of the shoulder.
• Understand the role of various ligaments, like the coracoacromial ligament, in shoulder function.

Force Couples

• Force couples involve the combined action of multiple muscles to produce a specific movement.
• For example, the upper and lower trapezius, serratus anterior muscles work together for upward rotation of the scapula.

Spinal Arteries

• Understand the path and branching of spinal arteries, supplying the spinal cord.
• Know the arteries supplying the upper extremity.

Shoulder Injury Implications

• Damage to nerves, impacts specific muscles and movements, such as deltoid weakness for shoulder abduction.
• Analyze the consequences of damage to different anatomical spaces, like the quadrangular space and the triangular space.

Pain and Tenderness

• Pain with resisted movements can indicate muscle injury, e.g., pain during resisted shoulder abduction may point to a supraspinatus injury.
• Tenderness on palpation of a specific area can suggest involvement of certain muscle groups, e.g., tenderness over the infraspinatus muscle.

Neuro-Sensory System for Balance

• The neuro-sensory system plays a vital role in balance.
• Integrate the roles of different brain areas like the cerebellum and basal ganglia in balance control.

Scapular Orientation

• The scapula is oriented 30-40 degrees anteriorly to the frontal plane.
• This orientation is crucial for understanding its movement and its role in shoulder function.

Axio-Appendicular Muscles

• Axio-Appendicular Muscles connect the axial skeleton to the appendicular skeleton.
• These muscles include the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and others.
• Know their innervation and actions.

Muscle Action Determination

• Understanding muscle origin, insertion, and fiber direction, considering joint movement, helps determine muscle action.

Rotator Cuff Muscles

• The rotator cuff muscles are crucial for shoulder stability and movement.
• Know their attachment, action, and innervation.

Scapulothoracic Joint Muscles

• Muscles acting on the scapulothoracic joint control scapular motion.
• Identify the elevators, depressors, protractors, retractors, upward, and downward rotators.

Glenohumeral Joint Muscles

• Glenohumeral joint muscles control humerus movement.
• Identify muscles responsible for abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, internal, and external rotation.
• Know the contribution of both glenohumeral and scapulothoracic muscles for specific motions.

Force Couples

• Understand the paired muscles that work together to create a movement. For example, the supraspinatus and middle deltoid act as force couples for abduction.

Teres Major and Rotator Cuff

• Teres major is not a rotator cuff muscle.
• It adducts and medially rotates the arm, similar to subscapularis.

Inferior and Superior Humerus Movements

• Three out of four rotator cuff muscles contribute to the inferior slide of the humerus on the scapula during abduction.
• Muscles that assist with the superior rolling of the humerus on the glenoid during abduction.

Brachial Plexus Nerves

• Understand the origins of nerves from the superior trunk, roots, and cords of the brachial plexus.
• Know the branches of the brachial plexus.

Dermatomes & Myotomes

• Review the dermatomes and myotomes of the upper limb.
• Dermatomes represent the cutaneous distribution of a spinal nerve.
• Myotomes represent the muscular innervation of a spinal nerve.

Upper Extremity Vasculature

• Familiarize yourself with the major arteries supplying the upper extremity, from the subclavian artery to the axillary artery.
• Understand the branches of these arteries and their distribution.

Scapulohumeral Rhythm

• Scapulohumeral rhythm describes the coordinated movement of the scapula and humerus during shoulder abduction.
• A 2:1 ratio exists, with 2 degrees of humeral movement for every 3 degrees of total abduction.
• The scapula contributes to the upward rotation, maximizing shoulder range of motion.

Scapulohumeral Rhythm Function

• Understand the importance of scapulohumeral rhythm for smooth, coordinated arm movement, preventing impingement, and promoting shoulder stability.

Glenohumeral Joint Arthrokinematics

• Arthrokinematics of the glenohumeral joint involve movements of the humeral head relative to the glenoid fossa.
• Describe how these joint surfaces move during various shoulder motions.