Blue Boxes

Question 0

Varum

Answer 0

• Bowleg
• small Q-angle
• unequal weight distribution
• medial angulation of leg

Question 1

What is the Q-angle

Answer 1

• angle of pull of quads relative to axis of patella to tibia (line of gravity)
• femur is diagonal in thigh, tibia is vertical
• greater in females - wider pelvis

Question 2

Valgum

Answer 2

• knee- knocked
• lateral angulation
• larger Q-angle

Question 3

Patellofemoral syndrome

Answer 3

• “runners knee”

- repetitive microtrauma caused by abnormal tracking of patella relative to patellar surface of femur

Question 4

Patellofemoral dysfunction

Answer 4

• can be due to weakness of vagus medialis —> muscles tends to prevent lateral dislocation of patella resulting from Q-angle

Question 5

Patellar dislocation

Answer 5

• happens laterally

- more common in women

Question 6

Popliteal cysts

Answer 6

Abnormal fluid-filled sacs of synovial membrane in popliteal fossa

• often a complication of chronic knee joint effusion
• synovial fluid can also escape from the knee joint

Question 7

Knee joint injuries

Answer 7

• most common is when foot is fixed on the ground
• MCL and LCL are tightly stretched when left is extended
• MCL is firmly attached to medial meniscus - tearing of MCL frequently results in tearing of medial meniscus

Question 8

Unhappy triad

Answer 8

• torn ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus

Question 9

Shin splints

Answer 9

• repetitive microtrauma of tibialis anterior
• edema and pain in the area of distal two thirds of the tibia
• mild form of anterior compartment syndrome
• muscles swell from sudden overuse, and edema and muscle-tendon inflammation reduce blood flow to muscles - painful and tender

Question 10

Common fibular nerve

Answer 10

• nerve most often injured in lower limb - superficial
• severance of nerve results in paralysis of all muscles in the anterior and lateral compartments of leg (dorsiflex ankle, evert foot)

Question 11

Foot drop

Answer 11

• loss of dorsiflexion in ankle
• toes do not clear the ground during the swing phase of walking
• braking action normally produced by eccentric contraction of dorsiflexors is almost lost

Question 12

Superficial fibular nerve entrapment

Answer 12

Chronic ankle sprains can produce recurrent stretching of the superficial fibular nerve, can cause pain on lateral side of the leg and the dorsum of the ankle and foot

Question 13

Dorsalis pedis pulse

Answer 13

• may be palpated with feet slightly dorsiflexed
• dorsal arteries are subcutaneous and pass along a line from the extensor retinaculum to a point just lateral to the extensor hallicus longus tendons