A 61-year-old man was hit by a cricket bat in the mid-humeral region of his left arm. Physical examination reveals normal elbow motion; however, he could not extend his wrist or his metacarpophalangeal joints and he reported a loss of sensation on a small area of skin on the dorsum of the hand proximal to the first two digits. Radiographic examination reveals a hairline fracture of the shaft of the humerus just distal to its midpoint. Which of the following nerves is most likely injured?
Injury to the radial nerve can be caused by a blow to the mid-humeral region since the nerve winds around the shaft of the humerus. The symptoms described include the loss of wrist and finger extension and a loss of sensation in an area of skin supplied by the radial nerve.
Median
Ulnar
Radial
Musculocutaneous
Upper Extremity