Question

An athlete reports to the athletic trainer complaining of arm pain. The examination of the athlete reveals:

• Moderate sensory impairment in the C-8 to T-1 distribution.
• Edema.
• Decreased radial pulse in the painful arm.
• Paresthesia distributed medially in the arm that sometimes extends into the adjacent anterior chest.
What condition could be indicated by these symptoms?Choose only one.
a. Anterior compartment syndrome
b. Brachial plexopothy
c. Cubital tunnel syndrome
d. Radial tunnel compression
e. Thoracic outlet compression

Answer 1

The athlete's symptoms indicate thoracic outlet compression, a condition where nerves and vessels at the thoracic outlet are compressed, leading to sensory impairment, edema, diminished pulse, and paresthesia in the arm and chest.

Step-by-step explanation:

The condition that could be indicated by the symptoms of moderate sensory impairment in the C-8 to T-1 distribution, edema, decreased radial pulse, and paresthesia distributed medially in the arm sometimes extending into the adjacent anterior chest is e. Thoracic outlet compression. These symptoms suggest that there is compression at the thoracic outlet, which is where the nerves of the brachial plexus and vessels pass from the neck to the arm. This condition can lead to neurovascular symptoms as described by the athlete.

On the contrary, conditions such as anterior compartment syndrome typically affect the muscles and nerves in the lower leg, while brachial plexopathy would involve a wider distribution of symptoms in the arm, and cubital and radial tunnel syndromes are linked to entrapment of specific nerves at the elbow and forearm, respectively, which do not encompass the simultaneous vascular symptoms observed here. Thoracic outlet syndrome can cause a range of symptoms due to compression of the neurovascular structures passing through the thoracic outlet.