What common testing procedure is required for a suspected axillary nerve injury following a shoulder dislocation?

In cases of a suspected axillary nerve injury following a shoulder dislocation, a sensory evaluation over the deltoid muscle is critical. The axillary nerve is responsible for innervating the deltoid muscle and providing sensation to the skin overlying it, particularly the lateral aspect of the shoulder.

Assessing the sensory function in this region helps determine whether the axillary nerve has been compromised, which is a common outcome in shoulder dislocations due to the nerve's proximity to the shoulder joint. A diminished or absent sensation over the deltoid would indicate a potential injury to the axillary nerve.

While other options may suggest various assessment methods, they do not specifically target the axillary nerve's function as directly or reliably as a sensory evaluation of the deltoid area. For example, electrical stimulation is an invasive procedure that may not be necessary in routine clinical evaluations of nerve function, and pinprick sensation over the axilla does not directly address the primary muscles and sensation that the axillary nerve supplies. Palpation of the humeral head can help assess joint stability and fracture presence but is not specific for evaluating nerve function. Thus, the sensory evaluation over the deltoid muscle is the most relevant test for confirming or ruling out an