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Glite Dictionary
musculospiral nerve

musculospiral nerve

9.9
A large nerve in the upper arm that makes the wrist and fingers straighten
  • noun
  • /ˌmʌskjuloʊˈspaɪrəl nɜrv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nervio musculoespiral
  • Damage to the musculospiral nerve can cause weakness in the wrist and fingers.

Examples

  • Injury to the musculospiral nerve may lead to difficulty in extending the fingers.

  • The musculospiral nerve is susceptible to injury in fractures of the humerus.

  • The surgeon traced the musculospiral nerve along the upper arm to locate the site of compression.

  • The musculospiral nerve is crucial for arm movement.

  • Can you explain the function of the musculospiral nerve?

  • A fracture of the humerus can put pressure on the musculospiral nerve, affecting grip strength.

  • During the surgery, the doctor carefully avoided the musculospiral nerve to prevent nerve damage.

Synonyms

radial nerve
vsmusculospiral nerve
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A large nerve running down the arm that makes wrist and finger muscles straighten

is more specific about running down the humerus and dividing near the elbow
nervus radialis
vsmusculospiral nerve
  • Specialized
9.2

A large arm nerve that controls feeling on the back of the hand and muscles to straighten wrist and fingers

is the same branch but expressed with a different term

Surface Forms

musculospiral nerve singular
musculospiral nerves plural

Morphology

musculospiral + nerve

The modifier 'musculospiral' is a technical, Latin-derived combining form (not a common standalone English word) so a B1 learner who only knows the ordinary word 'nerve' would not be able to infer the specific anatomical meaning. This is a specialized medical term (roughly equivalent to the radial nerve) and its meaning cannot be transparently derived from everyday vocabulary, making it unpredictable for typical learners.

Etymology

Musculospiral nerve comes from musculo meaning 'muscle' and spiral meaning 'twist'. The nerve winds around the upper arm bone as it runs down the arm, so the name gives a simple picture of a nerve that twists around the arm to reach the muscles and skin.