| 🦾 Nerve |
🧩 Roots |
⚙️ Mechanism / Common Causes |
🩺 Key Findings |
| Axillary |
C5–C6 |
Shoulder dislocation, humeral neck fracture, trauma |
❌ Sensation outer shoulder; weak deltoid/teres minor → impaired abduction (30–90°) |
| Suprascapular |
C5–C6 |
Shoulder trauma, entrapment at suprascapular notch, overhead activity |
⬇️ Supraspinatus (abduction start) & infraspinatus (external rotation) |
| Long Thoracic |
C5–C7 |
Heavy lifting, mastectomy, axillary surgery |
🪽 Winged scapula; weak serratus anterior; difficulty pushing/elevating arm |
| Radial |
C5–T1 |
Humeral shaft fracture, crutch palsy, axilla compression |
✋ Wrist drop; weak grip; sensory loss dorsum hand/posterior arm |
| Median |
C5–T1 |
Carpal tunnel, wrist laceration, supracondylar fracture |
🐒 “Ape hand”; loss of thumb opposition; lateral 3½ finger sensory loss; cannot make “OK” sign |
| Ulnar |
C8–T1 |
Medial epicondyle fracture, cubital tunnel, Guyon’s canal compression |
🦀 “Claw hand”; weak interossei (finger ab/adduction); sensory loss medial 1½ fingers |
| Femoral |
L2–L4 |
Pelvic fracture, hip surgery, lithotomy position |
🦵 Weak hip flexion/knee extension; ↓ patellar reflex; sensory loss anterior thigh & medial leg |
| Sciatic |
L4–S3 |
Hip dislocation, pelvic trauma, prolonged compression |
🦿 Weak knee flexion & all movements below knee; sensory loss posterior thigh/leg/foot; foot drop if peroneal branch affected |
| Common Peroneal |
L4–S2 |
Fibular head fracture, leg crossing, squatting |
👣 Foot drop; weak dorsiflexion/eversion; sensory loss dorsum foot & lateral shin |
| Tibial |
L4–S3 |
Knee or ankle trauma, tarsal tunnel compression |
🦶 Weak plantarflexion, inversion, toe flexion; sensory loss sole of foot |
| Obturator |
L2–L4 |
Pelvic trauma or surgery |
🚶 Weak thigh adduction; sensory loss medial thigh; difficulty crossing legs |