SATURDAY NIGHT PALSY

Course overview

SATURDAY NIGHT PALSY REFERS TO A COMPRESSIVE NEUROPATHY OF THE RADIAL NERVE THAT OCCURS FROM PROLONGED, DIRECT PRESSURE ONTO THE UPPER MEDIAL ARM OR AXILLA BY AN OBJECT OR SURFACE. THE RADIAL NERVE IS COMPOSED OF THE C5 TO T1 NERVE ROOTS, WHICH ARISE FROM THE POSTERIOR SEGMENT OF THE BRACHIAL NERVE PLEXUS. IT INITIALLY RUNS DEEP TO THE AXILLARY ARTERY, BEFORE PASSING INFERIOR TO THE TERES MINOR AND THEN WRAPPING DOWN THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE HUMERUS, WHERE IT LIES IN THE SPIRAL GROOVE. COMPRESSION OF THE RADIAL NERVE LEADS TO A NERVE PALSY CAUSING MOTOR AND SENSORY DEFICIT. THIS ACTIVITY COVERS THE ETIOLOGY, ANATOMICAL DEFINITION, AND CLINICAL PRESENTATION OF SATURDAY NIGHT PALSY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN DIAGNOSING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.