Musculoskeletal Examination & Evaluation Flashcards
8 performance expectations for entry to practice
- screen
- examine
- Evaluate
- Diagnose
- Prognosticate
- plan of care
- intervention
- outcomes
purpose of the examination
to reach to the proper diagnosis
How to reach the proper diagnosis through the examination?
systematic and complete
Aspects of the Examination? (7)
-patient history
-observation
-ROM/MMT
-Special tests
-Reflexes/Sensations
Accessory motions/ palpation
Question to ask for HPI/ Chief Complaint
- What brings pt to PT. pt describe in own words
- mechanism of injury (MOI)
- Pre-injury status
- Assistive devices/equipment
Mechanism of Injury
Trauma vs overuse: seek detail description
Examples of assistive devices/ equipment
braces, crutches, immobilizers, orthoses, splints
Questions to ask for onset
What happened/ mechanism of injury
Was onset insidious
Was onset related to a trauma: macro trauma
Was onset related to repetitive use: Microtrauma
When did onset occur
Macrotrauma
Onset related to a trauma
Microtrauma
Onset related to repetitive use
Questions to ask for Location
Where is the pain
Was initial location of pain different than current location of pain
Where is the pain follow up questions?
localized
non-specific/general/diffuse
peripheralization/centralization
referred pain
Was initial location of pain different than current location of pain follow up question?
has it moved or spread
Duration questions
How long has pain been present
Constant (chemical) vs intermittent (mechanical)
If intermittent, how long does pain last when present
What do you want to find out when asking how long pain has been present?
stage of healing: acute/subacute/chronic
-days,weeks, months, years
Questions to ask for Character
Patient descriptors
Is pain changing
What are patient descriptors
Sharp/ lancinating burning dull/aching deep/boring aching throbbing
what are aggravating conditions/ activities
- sitting/ standing (flex/ext)
- Walking/running
- lifting/carrying
- Stairs/jumping
- throwing
- ROM/ Resisted motions
What are relieving conditions/ activities
Resting (sitting, lying) vs moving
standing vs sitting
ice vs heat
position of comfort
What are examples of temporal component
Worse in am when waking
worse as day progresses
worse at beginning of an activity, relieved during activity
worse during the night
What can be used to assess Severity
Pain intensity VAS or NPRA
VAS
current, past 7 days (best. worst), most severe at any time
NPRS
Verbal rating on a 0-10 scale
Other questions to ask about patient history
- other symptoms
- previous episode
- previous treatment for condition
examples of other symptoms
locking, instability/ giving way, numbness/tingling
What information do you want to know about current functional level
- basic home ADLs
- Instrumental (community) ADLs
- Patients goals and expectations
Information you want to get from the physician
- sling, brace, immobilizer, orthoses
- WB status
- Post- operative protocol/ precautions
Information about environment
home/living environment
Information about occupational
job duties
information about past medical history
- medical/surgical history
- Systematic diseases
- Allergies
- Pregnancy
- anything else important
Do you want to know what medications they are taking?
Yes
What test and measures
EMG/NCV
Radiographic imaging: xray, MRI, CT scan
Why do you want so much details about patient history ?
- forms working diagnosis
- Differential diagnosis
- Indication of progress or decline
- Goal setting
- Insurance
- can help drive treatment/interventions
What systems should be reviewed?
Cardiovascular, integumentary, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular
Components of observation
- waiting room assessment
- Visibility
- Dominant eye
- View from ant. post, right and left
what are you looking for when assessing the pt in the waiting room?
Posture and gait
how do you want to approach posture?
top-down or bottom up
What are you looking at for posture
head position shoulder/ scapula positioning spine pelvis lower extremities
When observing head position what are you looking for
forward head, C/S rotation, side bending
When observing shoulder/scapula positioning what are you looking for
forward shoulders.
scapula protraction/retraction/elevation/ depression
When observing the spine what are you looking for
scoliosis
normal kyphosis/lordosis
When observing pelvis position what are you looking for
- level iliac crest/ obvious rotations
- Deviated umbilicus
- Excessive tilt
When observing the LE postures what are you looking for
- Hip/knee/ankle joint angles
- Varus/valgus/recurvatum
- rearfoot varus/ valgus
- pes planes, rectus, cavus
What are you observing for the integumentary system
color, texture, temperature
What are you observing the wound/incision for?
- stage of healing
- Exudate
- Scar: red/vascularized, white/ vascularized
what are you observing when there is swelling ?
- edema/effusion
- Masses
- Girth (swelling vs atrophy)
what are you examine with AROM
Physiological motion
what are the components to physiological motion ?
-cardinal planes of motion
what do you want to observe with AROM
- willingness to perform
- quality/ pattern of movement
- pain, where?
what are you examining with PROM
Anatomical motion
Is AROM or PROM usually greater?
PROM
what do you want to look for with PROM
- weakness, active insufficiency
- Pain
- Joint or muscle contractures
- Muscle spasticity
- compare uninvolved side. norm
What do you want to asses for in PROM
- Crepitus
- Joint motion/ muscle length
- Pain/pattern of pain to resistance
- End Feel
What are you looking at for joint motion for PROM
Excessive, normal, limited
What are some causes for Excessive joint motion for PROM
trauma/disease, repetitive exposure (pitcher), genetic predisposition
what are some causes for limited joint motion for PROM
Muscle length/spasm, pain, adhesions,
Pattern of restriction can be ?
capsular pattern or non capsular pattern
Motion restriction in a proportional pattern
capsular pattern (cyriax)
what indicates total joint irritation, capsular contraction, arthritis, arthrosis
capsular pattern (cyriax)
motion restriction doesn’t follow capsular pattern?
non capsular pattern
what indicates local restriction, ligamentous adhesions, internal derangement, extra-articular lesion ?
non capsular pattern