Upper limb: median nerve: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Upper limb: median nerve

Sample item

A laceration at the wrist causes inability to oppose the thumb and wasting of the thenar eminence. Which nerve is damaged?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Median nerve

The recurrent branch of the median nerve supplies thenar muscles important for thumb opposition. A distal median injury also affects sensation over the lateral palmar digits.

Option by option

  • A. Radial nerve

    Radial injury causes extensor weakness and wrist drop.

  • B. Ulnar nerve

    Ulnar injury weakens interossei and affects the medial hand.

  • C. Median nerve (correct)

    Correct. Thenar weakness with impaired opposition is a median-nerve deficit.

  • D. Axillary nerve

    Axillary injury affects deltoid and lateral shoulder sensation.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is C, Median nerve. The recurrent branch of the median nerve supplies thenar muscles important for thumb opposition.

Why is "Radial nerve" not the answer?

Radial injury causes extensor weakness and wrist drop.

Why is "Ulnar nerve" not the answer?

Ulnar injury weakens interossei and affects the medial hand.

Why is "Axillary nerve" not the answer?

Axillary injury affects deltoid and lateral shoulder sensation.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Upper limb: median nerve in Anatomy. A distal median injury also affects sensation over the lateral palmar digits.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Upper limb: median nerve?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.