"Benediction hand" is caused by injury to which nerve?

The hand of benediction, also known as benediction sign or preacher's hand, occurs as a result of prolonged compression or injury of the median nerve at the forearm or elbow.

A benediction (Latin: bene, well + dicere, to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. However, the name is misleading as the patients with this median nerve problem usually can flex all fingers except for the index finger. The index finger is still extended at the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP joint) when the ulnar nerve innervated muscles (the interossei muscles) are still working. The index finger is not flexed at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints, which looks like a pointing finger. Pointing Finger is, therefore, a much better term to recognize this condition.

Median nerve originate from brachial nerve pluxeus in axilla from 8th and 1st thoracic nerve roots and ascending downwards to the anterior surface of elbow at cubital fossa and then downwards to the wrist at carpal tunnel and ends by supplying digital sensory nerves to median 3 and half fingers i.e thumb, index, middle and medial side of ring finger.

More Info: en.m.wikipedia.org

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19 Comments

wok

This is their response. Hello! Thank you for being attentive. We appreciate your help in detecting mistakes and other issues with questions. When this post receives enough user reports, it will be automatically deactivated. Please note that all questions are created by users and reflect their level of knowledge and interests.

Barb Schmidt

what is the point when there are 2 answers ???

Ilias Tsiabardas

ulnar or median nerve is the cause of the injury to Benediction Hand 👎

billyboy915

Another question with 2 answers! Both ulnar and medial nerves are involved. SMH

billyboy915

wok, I've made many complaints concerning many questions and this is the perfunctory response I got every time. Please note that they never mention how many responses will be "enough" to "deactivate" a question. Basically, they have no intention of addressing the issue, because they are lazy and unprofessional. One would think that even one complaint would necessitate investigation and should research prove the answer is faulty, removal or corrections would occur. That's not how Quizzclub operates though. SMH

Jim Moser

Sounds like I just started Medical School!!

teacherchicky

wok, I've reported it too and that's their standard reply!

teacherchicky

There are two answers here that are correct as the ulnar nerve is also correct! The great actor Bill Nighy has it and if you watch him you'll notice how his fingers are curled in (he hides it pretty well though)!

Ernie Romano

Incorrect answer

Bob Pirie

There's two correct answers. It can be both ulnar and/or median nerve. Also the photo has a copyright watermark in it. This question should not have been approved.

Raymond Cardona

So which one is it as the ulnar nerve and median nerve are both mentioned??? Bonnie

wok

Also, it's a watermarked picture.

wok

Hand of benediction can be caused by damage to either the ulnar or median nerve, resulting in dysfunction of the muscles of the hand. For what it's worth I reported the problem.