Musculoskeletal Assessment

Question 1

Why do we need to consider full MSK assessment?

Answer 1

The Central Nervous System are interrelated, therefore they should be assessed together.

Question 2

Types of Injuries - Fractures

Answer 2

Open

Closed

Comminuted

Displaced

Undisplaced

Complicated

Question 3

Types of Injuries - Joints

Answer 3

Dislocations

Subluxations

Fracture-dislocations

Question 4

Types of Joints

Answer 4

Fibrous - fused

Cartillaginous - very minimal movement between bones

Synovial - most mobile, held in place by strong ligaments

Movement is defined by their structure

Question 5

Joint Mechanics

Answer 5

Question 6

Movement Terminology - Upper Body

Answer 6

Question 7

Movement Terminology - Lower Body

Answer 7

Question 8

Types of Injury

Answer 8

Fractures

Joints - Ligaments

Soft Tissue - Muscle/Tendons

Question 9

Skeletal Connecting & Supporting Structures

Answer 9

Tendons - Connect muscle to bone

Ligaments - Connect bone to bone

Cartilage - Flexible connective forming smooth surface over bone ends allowing articulation

Question 10

Types of Injury - Soft Tissue Injury

Answer 10

Skin

Muscle

Tendons

Ligaments

Question 11

General Assessment Principles

Answer 11

1. Expose & assess the limb - above and below the injury.
2. Look for - deformity, swelling, symmetry, pallor, wounds.
3. Feel for - tenderness, crepitus, distal pulse, capillary refill, distal sensation.
4. Move - asses range of movement & ability to mobilise (passive, active & resisted).
5. Compare and Contrast - what’s normal?
6. Consider RED FLAGS - eg. gross deformity & neurovascular compromise

Question 12

Assessment of a limb injury

Answer 12

The 6 P’s

Pain

Paralysis

Paraethesia

Pulselessness

Pallor

Pressure

Question 13

Signs & Symptoms of Fractures & Dislocations

Answer 13

S - swelling & Bruising

L - loss of function

I - irregularities

P - pain

D - deformities

U - unnatural movement

C - crepitis

T - tenderness

And dislocation…

Just as for fractures except:- Fixation of Joint

Question 14

Range of Movement

Answer 14

Question 15

Passive, Active & Resistive

Answer 15

Active - motion imparted to a part by voluntary contraction and relaxation of its controlling muscles.

Passive - motion imparted to a segment of the body by another individual, machine, or other outside force, or produced by voluntary effort of another segment of the pt’s own body.

Resistive (resistance) - activities desinged to assess muscle strength, performed against an opposing force.