MSK Exam Flashcards
What are some considerations for Mechanism of injury (MOI)?
Mechanism of injury (MOI)
(a) Direct Trauma
(b) Overuse/Overstretch
(c) Sudden change in direction
(d) Forceful contraction
What are some characteristics for Joint Symptoms?
a) Stiffness, swelling, or change in size
b) Unilateral or bilateral involvement
c) Constant pain or related to activities
d) Locking or giving away
What are some associated events to consider for MSK?
Associated events:
a) Activity, movements, weather
What are some characteristics for Muscular Symptoms
a) Limitation of movement
b) Weakness or fatigue
c) Paralysis, spasms
d) Wasting (Atrophy)
What are some precipitating factors for muscle injuries
Injury
Strenuous Activity
Sudden Movement
Stress
What are some characteristics for Skeletal Symptoms
a) Difficulty with gait or limping
b) Numbness, tingling
c) Crepitus (cracking)
d) Deformity
What are some associated events to consider for skeletal injury?
a) Injury
b) Recent fractures
c) Strenuous activity
d) Sudden movement
e) Stress
Sensation at the time of the injury:
a) Click
b) Pop
c) Tearing
d) Numbness
e) Tingling
f) Catching
g) Locking
h) Grating
i) Snapping
j) Ability to bear weight
Past Medical History (PMHx)
(1) Trauma
(2) Surgery
(3) Chronic Illness (e.g., arthritis and osteoporosis)
(4) Skeletal deformities or congenital anomalies.
Family History (FHx)
Family History (FHx)
(1) Congenital abnormalities
(2) Scoliosis or back problems
(3) Joint Disorders
What are some examples of joint disorders?
(a) Arthritis
1) Rheumatoid
2) Osteoarthritis
(b) Gout
What is an example of a genetic disorder?
Skeletal Dsyplasia
Personal and Social History (SocHx)
Employment
(a) Lifting
(b) Potential for unintentional injury
(c) Repetitive motions
(d) Chronic stress on joints
(e) Typing / computer use
Exercise
(a) Extent, type, frequency
(b) Weight bearing, stress on specific joints
(c) Overall conditioning
Sports
Sports
1) Level of competition, shoe type, athletic gear
2) Warm-up / cool down routines
Exam Equipment
(1) Marking pencil
(2) Goniometer
(3) Tape measure
(4) Reflex hammer
(5) Monofilament
(6) Paper clip
What are you inspecting during an MSK exam
- Posture
- Extremities
- Skin and Subcutaneous Tissues
- Muscles
During inspection under posture, what are you observing?
(a) Inspect anterior, posterior, and lateral aspect of the posture
(b) Observe ability to stand, sit, walk
During inspection under extremities, what are you observing?
(a) Overall size
(b) Gross deformities
(c) Bony enlargement
(d) Alignment
(e) Contour
During inspection under Skin and Subcutaneous Tissues, what are you observing?
(a) Discolorations
(b) Swelling
(c) Masses
During inspection under muscles, what are you observing?
(a) Gross hypertrophy or atrophy
1) Atrophy results from pain, disease to the muscle or damage to the motor neuron
(b) Fasciculations
1) Results from injury to muscle’s motor neuron
(c) Spasms
(d) Overall Symmetry
1) Dominant extremities are expected to be larger.
2) There is no absolute bilateral muscle symmetry.
Palpation
All bones joints and surrounding muscles noting:
(a) Swelling
(b) Heat
(c) Fluctuation (associated with effusion)
(d) Pain
(e) Resistance to pressure
(f) Muscle Tone
(g) Tenderness
(h) Crepitus
1) Can be felt when two irregular bone surfaces rub together.
2) Can be felt when tendon moves inside the tendon sheath with tenosynovitis.
Crepitus
What should you note during range of motion
(a) Pain
(b) Limitation of motion
(c) Spastic movement
(d) Joint instability
(e) Deformity
(f) Contractures
What is used to precisely measure joint angles?
A goniometer
Muscle weakness may result from:
(a) Disuse atrophy
(b) Pain
(c) Fatigue
(d) Overstretching
