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Neuropathy - radial nerve; Radial nerve palsy; Mononeuropathy
Radial nerve dysfunction is a problem with the radial nerve. Damage to the radial nerve leads to problems with movement or sensation of the back of the arm (triceps), forearm, or hand.
Radial neuropathy occurs when there is damage to the radial nerve, which travels down the arm and controls movement of the triceps muscle at the back of the upper arm. It also controls the ability to bend the wrist backward and helps with the movement and sensation of the wrist and hand.
Mononeuropathy means a single nerve is damaged. With mononeuropathy, usually the nerve damage is caused locally. However, body-wide disorders may damage just one nerve.
Causes are:
In some cases, no cause can be found.
If other nerves are also affected, the health care provider should look for a medical problem that can affect nerves. Medical conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease can damage nerves.
Weiss LD, Pobre TE. Radial neuropathy. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr., eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2008:chap 22.
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