A 34-year-old woman is admitted to the emergency department after a car crash. Radiographic studies show marked edema and hematoma of the arm, but there are no fractures. During physical examination the patient presents with inability to abduct her arm without first establishing lateral momentum of the limb, and inability to flex the elbow and shoulder. Which of the following portions of the brachial plexus is most likely injured?
The superior trunk of the brachial plexus includes C5 and C6, which give rise to the suprascapular nerve, which innervates the supraspinatus muscle. The supraspinatus muscle is the primary muscle involved in abduction of the arm from 0deg to 15deg. The deltoid muscle supplied primarily by C5, abducts the arm from 15 degrees to 90 degrees. The middle trunk is just C7 and has nothing to do with the muscle involved in initial abduction of the arm. The inferior trunk is C8-T1 and does not supply the supraspinatus muscle; therefore, it is not the right answer. The cords are distal to the branching of the supraspinatus muscle; therefore, neither lateral cord nor medial cord is the correct answer.
Superior trunk
Middle trunk
Inferior trunk
Lateral cord
Upper Extremity