A 10-year-old boy was running across a parking lot when he tripped and received lacerations on the base of his thumb from a brok
en glass bottle. On examination, his thumb was unable to oppose to his fingers, and the thumb also showed weakness when abducting and flexing. No sensory deficits were reported. What nerve was most likely severed?
The median nerve is the principal nerve of the anterior compartment of the forearm and also supply the two and half thenar muscles and the 1st and 2nd lumbricals. It also send sensory fibres to the palmar surface of the hand. Injury to the median nerve will result in paralysis of the thenar muscles and the first two lumbricals. Hence opposition of the thumb is not possible and fine control of the 2nd and 3rd digits are impaired. Sensation is also lost over the thumb and adjacent two and a half fingers.
The recurrent branch of the median nerve is the branch of the median nerve which innervates the thenar muscles. It is also referred to as the thenar branch, or the thenar muscular branch, of the median nerve
This particular nerve is also called "Million Dollar Nerve" because injury to this nerve during carpal tunnel surgery can lead to a million dollar lawsuit. Injury to this nerve can lead to loss of function of the thumb. Such injury can happen if the transverse carpal tunnel ligament (flexor retinaculum) is transected too radially
