MSK Flashcards
Mx of rheumatoid arthritis?
Flare Mx?
- DMARD monotherapy +/- a short-course of bridging prednisolone
- TNF-inhibitor if inadequate response to at least two DMARDs including methotrexate
Flare - steroids PO/IM
How to monitor response to Tx in RA? Score?
CRP + disease activity
DAS28
ESR and CRP in SLE with no flare up?
High ESR
Normal CRP
Mx of grade I-II Acromioclavicular joint injuries?
Conservative with sling + immobilisation
Which nerve does a Morton’s neuroma affect and where does it present clinically?
intermetatarsal plantar nerve
3rd inter-MTP space
2 main fractures which carry risk of compartment syndrome?
supracondylar fracture
tibial shaft injury
Which joint do Heberden’s nodes affect?
DIP
Which joint to Bouchard’s nodes affect?
PIP
What disease are Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes commonly seen in?
Osteoarthritis
What does a positive McMurray’s test suggest?
Meniscal tear
Allergy to which drugs is a caution for sulfasalazine in RA?
Aspirin or sulphonamides
When are symptoms in lumbar spinal stenosis usually improved?
On sitting vs standing
Walking uphill vs downhill
Typical bloods in polymyalgia rheumatica?
Raised ESR
Normal CK
When to offer bone protection to patients on long term steroids?
If over 65 y/o
<65 but previous fragility fracture
Offer bone density scan if <66 y/o
T score
What effect does carpal tunnel syndrome have on sensory and motor axons?
action potential prolongation
Examination findings in carpal tunnel?
weakness of thumb abduction (abductor pollicis brevis)
wasting of thenar eminence (NOT hypothenar)
Tinel’s sign: tapping causes paraesthesia
Phalen’s sign: flexion of wrist causes symptoms
Which muscles are involved in shoulder abduction?
Supraspinatous - first 15 degrees
Deltoid after that
What is the nerve supply of the deltoid?
Axillary nerve
How should alignment of vertebral bodies be checked?
Using 3 longitudinal lines
Anterior, posterior and spinolaminar lines
Max thickness of prevertebral soft tissue from C1-C4/5 and C4/5-T1?
C1 - C4/5: 7mm
C4/5-T1: 21mm (1 vertebral body width)
3 views needed to assess C spine in trauma?
Lateral view: whole spine + cervicothoracic junction
Open mouth view: odontoid peg
AP view
Presence of which fat pad is always abnormal?
Posterior
Anterior is normal if it lies adjacent to anterior humerus
What is a Hill-Sachs lesion?
posterolateral humeral fracture occurring when the soft head impacts against hard anterior glenoid during an anterior dislocation
Most commonly injured carpal bones?
Scaphoid
Then triquetral
What is a Colle’s fracture?
fracture of the distal radius with dorsal angulation (posterior displacement) of the distal fragment
What is a Smith’s fracture?
fracture of the distal radius with palmar angulation (anterior displacement) of the distal fragment
How do Colle’s fractures occur?
Fall onto an outstretched hand
Xray changes indicative of infection in hip replacement?
Wideband of radiolucency at the cement-bone interface (in the case of cemented prostheses) or at the metal-bone interface (in uncemented prostheses)
Bone destruction
Which tendons are affected in De Quervain’s tenosynovitis?
extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus
What is Finkelstein’s test? What does a positive test suggest?
the examiner pulls the thumb of the patient in ulnar deviation and longitudinal traction
pain over radial styloid process and along tendons suggests De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
Which meds increase risk of marrow aplasia if prescribed alongside methotrexate?
Trimethoprim
Co-trimoxazole
Which drug increases risk of methotrexate toxicity?
high dose aspirin
How does psoriatic arthritis affect the hands? What might you see on xray?
Asymmetrical inflammation of DIPs
Plantar spur
Pencil in cup
How does RA affect the hands?
Symmetrical inflammation of several small joints (usually MCPs) but sparing DIPs
what does morning stiffness indicate?
Few mins = osteoarthritis
Long time = RA
What examination signs suggest a non impacted NOF fracture?
External rotation and leg shortening
Unable to straight leg rise
What classification system is used for NOF fractures?
Garden system:
Stage I: Incomplete fracture of the neck (so-called abducted or impacted)
Stage II : Complete without displacement
Stage III: Complete with partial displacement. Fragments are still connected by posterior retinacular attachment and there is malalignment of the femoral trabeculae
Stage IV : This is a complete femoral neck fracture with full displacement, the proximal fragment is free and lies correctly in the acetabulum so that the trabeculae appear normally aligned.
What is the definitive tx for intercapsular NOF fractures?
Total hip replacement
3 types of NOF fractures?
subcapital: femoral head/neck junction
transcervical: midportion of femoral neck
basicervical: base of femoral neck
How are extracapsular NOF fractures treated?
Dynamic hip screw
How are femoral shaft fractures treated?
Operative fixation with an intramedullary nail
Initial mx of displaced tibial fracture?
Analgesia and splintage
What is Simmond’s test?
Test for Achilles’ tendon rupture. The test is most easily performed by asking the patient to kneel on a chair/bed in front of you, squeezing both calves, and observing the feet for plantar flexion. If the Achilles tendon is ruptured, less plantar flexion will be seen on the affected side.
Tx of an Achilles’ tendon rupture?
Equinus cast
What is the anterior draw test for?
Anterior cruciate ligament
What is the Lachman test for?
Anterior cruciate ligament
What is the primary function of the anterior cruciate ligament?
Preventing anterior translocation of the tibia at the knee
What does a periosteal reaction suggest?
A stress fracture
Blood supply to femoral head?
Medial and lateral circumflex femoral arteries (from profunda femoris)
Ligamentum teres artery
Classical features o/e in osteoarthritis?
Joint crepitus
Abnormal gait
Limited movement
What 2 signs might be positive in OA of hip?
Trendelenburg’s (due to secondary gluteal weakness)
Thomas’ (fixed flexion deformity)
X-ray findings in OA?
Loss of joint space
Osteophytes
Subchondral sclerosis
Subchondral cysts and chondrocalcinosis
RFs for OA?
FH Metabolic: - Obesity - Acromegaly - Alkaptonuria Bone issues: - Trauma - Paget's Neuropathic joints: - DM - syphilis Inflammation: - Gout - RA - infection Haematological: - SCD - Haemophilia
Which nerve is affected in carpal tunnel syndrome?
Median nerve
What is the motor and sensory innervation of the median nerve?
The median nerve is a mixed nerve, supplies the skin of the thumb, index, and the middle half of the ring finger on the palmar side and up to the terminal joint of the index and middle half of the ring finger on dorsal side.
It supplies the thenar muscles.
RFs for carpal tunnel syndrome?
COCP Hypothyroidism RA Pregnancy HF Previous wrist trauma
Which test and sign are positive in carpal tunnel syndrome?
Tinel’s sign
Phalen’s test
Tx of carpal tunnel?
rest, splintage, anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injection
surgical release of carpal tunnel (flexor retinaculum)
Describe claw hand deformity
extension of the 4th and 5th fingers at the metacarpophalangeal joints and flexion at the interphalangeal joints
Damage to which nerve is associated with claw hand deformity? What is the ulnar paradox?
Ulnar
The ulnar paradox: proximal lesions of the ulnar nerve produce a less prominent deformity than distal lesions
What sign is positive in claw hand?
Froment’s paper sign, where on holding a piece of paper between thumb and index finger there is flexion of the terminal phalanx of the thumb on trying to pull paper away
Injury to which nerve causes wrist drop?
Radial nerve
What are the nerve roots for median, ulnar and radial nerves?
Medial cord brachial plexus C8 – T1 = ulnar nerve
Medial and lateral cords, C5 – T1 roots = median nerve
Posterior cord of the brachial plexus C5 – T1 = radial nerve
What is the most common cause of wrist drop?
Humeral fracture
What is Saturday night palsy?
Compression of radial nerve e.g. falling asleep with arm draped over a firm object directly compressing the nerve in the spiral groove causes neuropraxia
How is Thomas’ test carried out? What does it rule out?
the examiner feels over the lumbar spine for a lordosis on the side of the suspected abnormality and then flexes the normal hip. This abolishes the lordosis and makes the flexion deformity of the affected side obvious
used to rule out hip flexion contracture and and psoas syndrome
Main cause of fixed flexion contracture of the hip?
OA
What does Tinel’s test involve?
involves tapping the median nerve at the wrist to reproduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (numbness and tingling of the thumb, index and middle fingers)