BCSE Anatomy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which nerve is most commonly injured in a mid-shaft humeral fracture?
- Ulnar nerve
- Median nerve
- Radial nerve (Correct answer)
- Musculocutaneous nerve
Correct answer: Radial nerve
The radial nerve runs in the spiral groove of the humerus and is vulnerable to injury in mid-shaft humeral fractures.
Question 2: The hepatoduodenal ligament (portal triad) contains all of the following EXCEPT:
- Portal vein
- Hepatic artery proper
- Common bile duct
- Hepatic vein (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Hepatic vein
The hepatoduodenal ligament contains the portal vein, hepatic artery proper, and common bile duct; the hepatic vein drains directly into the inferior vena cava.
Question 3: Which muscle is responsible for abduction of the vocal cords?
- Thyroarytenoid
- Lateral cricoarytenoid
- Posterior cricoarytenoid (Correct answer)
- Cricothyroid
Correct answer: Posterior cricoarytenoid
The posterior cricoarytenoid is the only intrinsic laryngeal muscle that abducts the vocal cords by rotating the arytenoids laterally.
Question 4: The inguinal (Hesselbach's) triangle is bounded by which three structures?
- Inguinal ligament, rectus abdominis, inferior epigastric vessels (Correct answer)
- Inguinal ligament, iliacus, femoral artery
- Rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, obturator vessels
- Lacunar ligament, pectineal line, femoral vein
Correct answer: Inguinal ligament, rectus abdominis, inferior epigastric vessels
Hesselbach's triangle is bounded inferiorly by the inguinal ligament, medially by the rectus abdominis, and laterally by the inferior epigastric vessels.
Question 5: Damage to the anterior horn cells at C3–C5 spinal levels would most likely produce:
- Loss of wrist extension
- Ipsilateral diaphragm paralysis (Correct answer)
- Loss of shoulder abduction only
- Contralateral hemiparesis
Correct answer: Ipsilateral diaphragm paralysis
The phrenic nerve arises from C3–C5 and innervates the diaphragm; anterior horn cell damage at these levels causes ipsilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.
Question 6: Which structure passes through the foramen ovale of the skull base?
- CN V2 (maxillary nerve)
- CN V3 (mandibular nerve) (Correct answer)
- CN VI (abducens nerve)
- Middle meningeal artery
Correct answer: CN V3 (mandibular nerve)
The mandibular nerve (CN V3) passes through the foramen ovale to exit the middle cranial fossa.
Question 7: The renal hilum typically transmits structures in which anterior-to-posterior order?
- Artery, vein, ureter
- Vein, artery, ureter (Correct answer)
- Ureter, vein, artery
- Artery, ureter, vein
Correct answer: Vein, artery, ureter
From anterior to posterior at the renal hilum, the order is renal vein, renal artery, and renal pelvis/ureter.
BCSE Anatomy 2
Which nerve is most commonly injured in a mid-shaft humeral fracture?