Clinical - Spinal Nerve Testing

Question 1

Match the following and describe the terms:

• Spasticity
• Paralysis
• LMN lesion
• UMN lesion

Answer 1

Spasticity - increased tone - UMN lesion
(as the descending controls aren’t working the motor nerve is in constant contraction (think rigor mortis))

Paralysis - reduced tone + can’t contract - LMN lesion
(as the motor nerve itself is damaged and cannot cause contraction)

Question 2

Match the following reflexes to spinal level that they test:

Knee
Ankle
Biceps
Triceps
Supinator/brachioradialis 

S1
C7
C5
C6
L4

Answer 2

S1 - ankle
L4 - knee
C6 - supinator/brachioradialis 
C7 - triceps
C5 - biceps