Spinal Accessory Nerve Injury

Aka: Spinal Accessory Nerve Injury, Accessory Nerve Injury

advertisement

II. Anatomy

  1. Spinal Accessory nerve (CN 11) is vulnerable to injury at the posterior triangle of the neck

III. Causes

  1. Trapezius Trauma
  2. Shoulder Dislocation
  3. Nerve injury during surgical procedures
    1. Radical neck dissection
    2. Cervical node biopsy
    3. Carotid endarterectomy

IV. Symptoms

  1. Generalized Shoulder Pain
  2. Shoulder weakness

V. Signs

  1. Shoulder sags on affected side
  2. Shoulder weak on shrugging
  3. Forward flexion at Shoulder weak overhead
  4. Trapezius atrophy (with longstanding injury)

VI. Management

  1. Physical Therapy
  2. Avoid provocative activities
  3. Surgery is rarely indicated
    1. Consider surgery for Penetrating Trauma with nerve transection
    2. Consider surgery for lack of improvement at 18 to 24 months

VII. References

  1. Neal (2010) Am Fam Physician 81(2): 147-55 [PubMed]
  2. Safran (2004) Am Sports Med 32(4): 1063-76 [PubMed]
  3. Silver (2021) Am Fam Physician 103(5): 275-85 [PubMed]

Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)

These images are a random sampling from a Bing search on the term "Spinal Accessory Nerve Injury." Click on the image (or right click) to open the source website in a new browser window. Search Bing for all related images

Related Studies

Related Topics in Shoulder Disorders

advertisement