Musculoskeletal · UKMLA & AKT
Cervical radiculopathy
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise cervical radiculopathy — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Unilateral arm pain - dermatomal, radiating from neck to shoulder and arm
- Paraesthesia/numbness - in the relevant dermatome
- Muscle weakness - in the relevant myotome
- Diminished reflexes - biceps C5/C6, brachioradialis C5/C6, triceps C7
- Worsening with extension and ipsilateral rotation - narrows the foramen and reproduces symptoms
Key differentiator from shoulder pathology: cervical radiculopathy has a dermatomal distribution, neck movement reproduces symptoms, and the arm squeeze test (squeezing the mid-upper arm) elicits pain - unlike rotator cuff or subacromial pathology where pain is localised to the shoulder with a painful arc on abduction and intact neurology.
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