Musculoskeletal Flashcards
What questions should you ask when taking a musculoskeletal history?
Any discomfort or problems with your extremities or back?
Pain or stiffness could be caused by what?
Trauma (even micro-trauma), spasms, vascular insufficiency, or inflammation
Wasting or weakness could be caused by what?
Drugs, neuromuscular problems, age, or inactivity
Instability could be caused by what?
Arthritis, trauma, neuromuscular problems, or bad connective tissue
A thorough exam for each of the major joints should include what?
Inspection, palpation, assessment of range of motion, and special maneuvers to test for specific issues
The range of motion of the temporomandibular joint should be evaluated in which directions>
Opening and closing (three fingers should be able to be inserted between incisors when mouth is open wide), protrusion and retraction (bottom teeth can be placed in front of upper teeth during normal protrusion), and lateral (side-to-side) motion
What would you expect to see with anterior dislocation of the shoulder?
The rounded lateral aspect of the shoulder will appear flattened
What should you palpate when examining the shoulder?
Sternoclavicular joint, spine of the scapula, acromion, acromioclavicular joint, coracoid process, greater tubercle, biceps tendon in the intertubercular groove
What are the six motions of the shoulder girdle?
Internal and external rotation, abduction and adduction, flexion and extension
Restricted range of motion in the shoulder occurs with what?
Bursitis, capsulitis, rotator cuff tears or sprains, and tendinitis
How would you examine the bursae of the shoulder?
By first passively extending the humerus by lifting the elbow posteriorly, rotating the structures so they are anterior to the acromion
How would you examine the SITS muscles?
Supraspinatus is directly superior to the spine of the scapula, infraspinatus is directly inferior to the spine of the scapula, teres minor is inferior to the infraspinatus, and subscapularis inserts anteriorly and is not palpable
Localized tenderness during palpation of the shoulder joint arises from what?
Subacromial or subdeltoid bursitis, among other things
Tenderness and effusion during palpation of the shoulder joint suggests what?
Synovitis of the glenohumeral joint
Tenderness over the SITS muscle insertions and inability to abduct the arm is seen in what?
Sprains, tears, and tendon rupture of the rotator cuff
Injury of which SITS muscle is most common?
Supraspinatus
What does the painful arc test examine?
Subacromial bursa and supraspinatus
When would the painful arc test be considered positive?
When pain occurs between 60-120 degrees of abduction with less pain at the beginning and end ranges of motion
What would you instruct the patient to do during the painful arc test?
To slowly abduct the arms with thumbs pointing upwards
What does the external rotation lag test examine?
Supraspinatus and infraspinatus
What would you instruct the patient to do for the external rotation lag test?
With the patient’s arm flexed to 90 degrees with the palm up, the physician rotates the arm into full external rotation and asks the patient to keep the arm in that position
When would the external rotation lag test be considered positive?
When the patient cannot hold the position
What does the internal rotation lag test examine?
Subscapularis
How would you perform the internal rotation lag test?
While standing behind the patient, bring the dorsum of the hand behind the low back with the elbow flexed to 90 degrees. Grip the wrist and lift the hand off the back and ask the patient to keep the hand in this position as you release the wrist
When would the internal rotation lag test be considered positive?
When the patient cannot hold the position
What does the drop-arm test examine?
Supraspinatus
How would you perform the drop-arm test?
Abduct the patient’s arm to around 120 degrees and then ask them to lower it slowly
What does the external rotation resistance test examine?
Infraspinatus
How would you perform the external rotation resistance test?
Ask the patient to adduct and flex the arm to 90 degrees with the thumb turned up. Stabilize the elbow with one hand and apply pressure proximal to the patient’s wrist as the patient presses the wrist outward in external rotation
Swelling over the olecranon process is found in what?
Olecranon bursitis
What should you palpate in the elbow?
The olecranon process, the epicondyles, and the grooves between the epicondyles and the olecranon process
Tenderness distal to the lateral epicondyle may be due to what?
Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow); fairly common