| Medical Research Council Grades | |
|---|---|
| Grade | Muscle State |
| 0 | No contraction |
| 1 | Flicker or trace of contraction |
| 2 | Active movement with gravity eliminated |
| 3 | Active movement against gravity |
| 4 | Active movement against gravity and resistance |
| 5 | Normal power |
You go onto perform a comprehensive lower limb neurological examination
You examine the power
When examining power we use the Medical Research Council (MRC) grading
Muscle power is rated on a scale of 0 to 5 in relation to the maximum expected for that muscle
| Myotome | Action |
|---|---|
| C5 | Shoulder abduction and external rotation; elbow flexion |
| C6 | Wrist extension |
| C7 | Elbow extensors and wrist flexion |
| C8 | Thumb extension and finger flexion |
| T1 | Finger abduction |
| T1 / L2 | Hip flexion |
| L3 | Knee extension |
| L4 / L5 | Ankle dorsiflexion |
| L5 | Great toe extension |
| S1 | Ankle plantir flexion |
| S4 | Bladder and rectum motor supply |
When examining power it's important to understand myotomes
By systematically examining specific myotomes, we can determine the cord segments that have been injured