6.1 Musculoskeletal Assessment Flashcards
(42 cards)
Nonsynovial Joints
Nonsynovial Joints - Bones united by fibrous tissue or cartilage. Immovable such as sutures in the skull or can be slightly moveable
Synovial Joints
- Freely Moveable (separated and enclosed by joint cavity)
- Temporal-Mandible Joint
- Spine
- Shoulder
- Elbow
- Wrist/Hand
- Hip
- Knee
- Ankle/Foot
Muscle
Muscles include skeletal, smooth, and cardiac types
Key Terms
Flexion - Bending limb at the joint
Extension - Straightening limb at the joint
Abduction - Move limb away from midline of body
Adduction - Move limb towards midline of body
Pronation - Hand with palm facing down
Supination - Hand with palm facing up
Circumduction - Moving arm in circle around shoulder
Inversion - Moving sole of foot inward at the ankle
Eversion - Moving sole of foot outward at ankle
Rotation - Moving head around central axis
Key Terms (cont)
Protraction - Moving body part forward, parallel to ground
Retraction - Moving body part backwards, parallel to ground
Elevation - Raising body part
Depression - Lowering body part
Joints ROS
- Pain in the joints (when is it better or worse)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is generally worse in the morning, osteoarthritis is worse at night
Type of pain
Sharp - Fracture
Popping Sound - Indicates a Tear
Myalgia-Type Pain - Viral Infection - Is there stiffness or swelling
Bone and Muscle ROS
- Trauma to bones?
- Pain or weakness in the muscles?
Functional ADL’s
- Can the patient preform ADL’s Independently?
- Is the patient taking any dietary supplements?
- Is there a history of smoking? (Causes bone loss)
Infant Data
- Trauma to infant during labor/delivery
Did infants head come first
Was there need for forceps (used for grasping)
Did infant need resuscitation
(Periods of anoxia - complete loss of oxygen - could mean hypotonia - decreased muscle tone)
Infant Data (cont)
- Were motor milestones achieved at the same time as siblings
- Any broken bones/dislocations (how were they treated)
- Bone deformities
Spinal Curvature
Unusual shape of toes or feet
Trauma increasing risk of fractures
Adolescent Data
- Is patient involved in sports
How frequently
What does patient do if they get hurt - How does sports fit in with other school demands and activities
It is necessary to assess safety measures for adolescents because they are less likely to report injuries
Older Adult Data
- History of weakness in the past few months
- Increase in falls or stumbling in the past few months
- Does patient use mobility aids such as cane or walker
Physical Assessment
- Purpose to assess function of ADL’s and screen abnormalities
- Supporting each joint at rest
(Muscles should be soft and relaxed to assess joints accurately) - Take care when examining inflamed areas where rough manipulation can cause pain and muscle spasms
- Comparing Corresponding Joints
(Expect symmetry of structure and function and normal parameters of each joint)
Head to toe approach
- Begin with inspection of TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) and work your way down to the ankles.
- Assessment technique is same for each joint but may be different movements to assess
Inspection
- Size and contour of each joint
- Inspect skin for color, swelling, masses/deformities
Deformities
Dislocation - Loss of contact between 2 bones and joint
Subluxation - Misalignment
Contracture - Shortening of Muscle
Ankylosis - Stiffness/Fixation of Joint
Swelling may cause joint irritation and could mean effusion, inflammation, bony enlargement
Palpation
Palpate each joint
- Assess temperature, muscles, bony articulations, area of joint capsule.
(Warmth can indicate inflammation)
- Joints should not be tender to palpate
(If there is tenderness, localize it to specific anatomic structure - Skin, Muscle, Bursae, Ligament, Tendon, Fat Pads, Joint Capsule)
Palpation
Note presence of articular disease which is swelling and tenderness (arthritis)
- This limits active and passive ROM
- Extra-articular disease affects active movement and may be a ligament or tendon injury
Note whether the synovial joint membrane is palpable
- Usually not palpable, membrane is doughy and boggy when thickened
(ROM) and Muscle Strength
Ask for active voluntary ROM
- Limitations in voluntary ROM attempt passive movement
- Note pain/tenderness/crepitation (audible crunching or grading with movement)
Assess Muscle Strength
Assess Muscle Strength
- Test strength of prime mover muscle groups for each joint
- Repeat motions for active ROM
- Ask patient to flex as you apply opposing force
- Muscle strength should be equal bilaterally
Muscle Strength Grade
Grade 5 - Normal
Grade 4 - Active movement against gravity with resistance
Grade 3 - Active movement against gravity without resistance
Grade 2 - Active movement with gravity eliminated
Grade 1 - Only trace or flicker of movement
Grade 0 - No movement
Temporomandibular Joint
- When palpating audible and palpable snap is normal when people open their mouth
- Ask patient to move jaw forward and laterally against resistance
- Ask patient to open mouth against your resistance
(Tests integrity of Cranial Nerve 5 - Trigeminal Nerve) - Note swelling or crepitus
Cervical Spine
- Inspect alignment of head and neck
(Should be straight and head should be erect) - Palpate spinous process and sternomastoid, trapezius, paravertebral muscles
- They should feel firm with no muscle spasms or tenderness
- Repeat motions while applying opposing force
- Maintain Flexion against full resistance is normal
(Tests cranial nerve 6 - spinal nerve)
Shoulder
Test strength of shoulder muscles
- Shrug shoulders, flex forward and up, abduct against resistance.
- Shoulder shrug tests cranial nerve 6 (spinal accessory nerve)
- Inspect/Palpate comparing both shoulders posteriorly and anteriorly.
DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU SUSPECT NECK TRAUMA
Elbow
Inspect size and contour of elbow in both flexed and extended positions
- Effusion and Synovial Thickening shows as a bulge in the groove of the sides of olecranon process.
(Occurs with gouty arthritis)
- Epicondyles, head of radius, and tendons are common sites of inflammation and tenderness
(Example - tennis elbow)