Question

After an injury, a patient has difficulty contracting his deltoid muscle. This indicates possible damage to the _____ nerve.

A) axillary
B) median
C) radial
D) ulnar

Answer 1

Damage to the axillary nerve can result in difficulty contracting the deltoid muscle, leading to weakness or paralysis in shoulder movement.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is A) axillary.

The deltoid muscle is innervated by the axillary nerve, which originates from the brachial plexus. Damage to the axillary nerve can result in difficulty contracting the deltoid muscle, leading to weakness or paralysis in shoulder movement.

For example, if the axillary nerve is damaged after an injury, a patient may have difficulty abducting their arm (moving it away from the midline of the body) or raising their arm laterally. These movements are primarily controlled by the deltoid muscle.