ABSTRACT
The human body has a comprehensive neurological system to support its complex musculoskeletal system and its interaction with its surroundings. The peripheral nerves can be involved or injured in a host of conditions. Although there are fairly well-defined innervation patterns, sometimes presentations can be very vague. The picture is complicated by anatomical variations, level of injury, involvement of multiple nerves, and the child’s adaptation. In such circumstances, a careful nerve examination is warranted to determine the precise extent of the nerve injury. This chapter briefly describes the motor and sensory supply of various peripheral nerves of the upper and lower limbs and describes common clinical tests to detect their injury in a child. In Volkmann’s ischemic contracture, the peripheral nerves sustain a two-fold insult. The ischemia can affect both muscle and nerves directly. Secondarily, the nerves may get compressed by the cicatricial contracture of the degenerating muscles and skin.
