Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumOrthopedic Surgery

Match each acute orthopedic injury with its most classic associated neurovascular complication or physical examination finding.

  • Anterior shoulder dislocationImpaired shoulder abduction and decreased sensation over the lateral aspect of the shoulder
  • Midshaft humeral fractureInability to extend the wrist and fingers, with sensory loss over the dorsal first web space
  • Posterior knee dislocationDiminished dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pulses, necessitating immediate vascular assessment
  • Fibular neck fractureInability to dorsiflex the ankle and sensory loss over the anterolateral leg and dorsum of the foot

Answer

Anterior shoulder dislocation pairs with axillary nerve injury; Midshaft humeral fracture pairs with radial nerve injury; Posterior knee dislocation pairs with popliteal artery injury; Fibular neck fracture pairs with common peroneal nerve injury.
Each correct pair correctly maps the traumatic orthopedic injury to the anatomically adjacent and most vulnerable neurovascular structure, along with its classic clinical deficit.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the anatomical location of each traumatic orthopedic injury.
Identified the shoulder, mid-arm, knee joint, and lateral proximal lower leg as the sites of injury.
Understanding the precise location of bone disruption is necessary to determine which adjacent soft tissues are at risk.
2
Identify the neurovascular structures coursing directly adjacent to the injured bone or joint.
Matched Axillary nerve to shoulder, Radial nerve to mid-humerus, Popliteal artery to posterior knee, and Common peroneal nerve to fibular neck.
Nerves and arteries that are anatomically tethered or immediately adjacent to bone are most vulnerable to traction or transection.
3
Correlate the structure with its specific clinical deficit.
Radial nerve causes wrist drop; Axillary nerve causes deltoid weakness; Common peroneal nerve causes foot drop; Popliteal artery causes distal pulse loss.
Clinical presentation confirms the structural injury and is the standard way these complications are tested.

Key Concept

Neurovascular Complications in Orthopedic Trauma
Rate this question

Topics

Orthopedic Surgery

More questions from this topic