radial nerve

1 6.6

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

noun
/ˈreɪdiəl nɜrv/

Specialized

: nervio radial

The superficial radial nerve branches were identified and protected throughout the surgery.
ulnar and radial nerve

Examples

When a spiral or oblique fracture damages the radial nerve.

Academic text (2003)
In a study involving 39 patients with a scapular fracture, McGinnis and Denton (11) noticed that one of their patients had an associated radial nerve injury.

Academic text (2015)
The patient is asked to perform a "thumbs up" sign to confirm radial nerve function.

Academic text (2006)
In addition, a thorough neurovascular exam should be done to assess for injuries to the median, ulnar, or radial nerve.

Academic text (2006)
Therefore, if a brachial plexus injury is suspected, special attention should be devoted to radial nerve and ulnar nerve deficits because they account for nearly 75% of main branch lesions.

Academic text (2015)
The doctor checked the radial nerve to ensure it was functioning properly after the injury.
During the assessment, they tested the radial nerve to see if the patient could extend their wrist.
To determine the cause of the weakness, the surgeon examined the radial nerve for any signs of damage.

Synonyms

musculospiral nerve

vsradial nerve

Specialized

9.9

A large nerve in the upper arm that makes the wrist and fingers straighten

is the standard English anatomical name rather than that alternative label

nervus radialis

vsradial 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 common English name instead of the Latin anatomical form

Surface Forms

radial nerve singular

radial nerves plural

Morphology

radial + nerve

The compound is directly compositional: 'radial' (pertaining to the radius/side of the forearm) modifies 'nerve' (a bundle of nerve fibres), so the phrase denotes the nerve associated with the radius/outer side of the arm. This is a straightforward anatomical modifier+noun formation found cross-linguistically, so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Radial nerve comes from the bone radius in the forearm, because the nerve runs along that bone like a line from the elbow to the wrist. That's why it means the nerve that goes down the arm and 'helps move' and 'feel' the back of the hand.