Musculoskeletal: Assessment techniques

Question 1

Shoulder flexion

Answer 1

“Lift your arms in front of you and over your head”

Question 2

Shoulder Extension

Answer 2

“Raise your arms behind you”

Question 3

Shoulder Adduction

Answer 3

“cross your arm in front of your body”

Question 4

Should Abduction

Question 5

Should Internal Rotation

Answer 5

“Place one hand behind your back and touch your shoulder blade”

Identify the highest midline spinous process patient can reach

Question 6

Shoulder External Rotation

Answer 6

“Raise your arm up and try to scratch your opposite shoulder blade”

Question 7

Test supraspinatus strength

“empty can test”

Answer 7

Raise patient arms to 90 degress and internally rotate so thumbs point down (like emptying a can). push down and ask patient to resist

Question 8

Test infraspinatus strength

“full can test”

Answer 8

Have patient place arms at sides with elbows bent at 90 degrees with thumbs up. Ask patient to hold position while you press inward

Question 9

Drop Arm Test

Answer 9

Have patient lift arm out to side at shoulds height and slowly lower arm back down to side. Watch for smooth movement

Question 10

Inspect Hands/wrists

Answer 10

palmar and dorsal side for joint swelling, suface contour, alignment of fingers and wrist

Question 11

Palpation of wrist

Answer 11

distal radius and ulna at the wrist

Question 12

Palaption of MCP joints

Question 13

Palpation of anatomical snuff box

Question 14

Palpation of PIP joints

Question 15

Palpation of DIP joints

Answer 15

Same technique as PIP but on the joint at the tip of the finger

Question 16

Wrist flexion

Answer 16

“With palms down, point your fingers toward the floor”

Full ROM= 90 degrees

Question 17

Wrist extension

Answer 17

“with palms down point fingers toward ceiling”

Full ROM = 90 degrees

Question 18

Wrist adduction

Answer 18

“With palms down, bring your fingers inward”

Full ROM=20 degrees

Question 19

Wrist Abduction

Answer 19

“With palms down, point fingers away from body”

Full ROM = 20 degrees

Question 20

Hand abduction/adduction

Answer 20

Ask patient to spread fingers wide apart and close them back together

Question 21

Purpose of Tineal’s sign

Answer 21

Check for median nerve compression

Question 22

Technique” Tineal’s sign

Answer 22

Tap lightly over the course of the median nerve

(tingling or pain with tapping is positive test)

Question 23

Purpose of Phalen’s sign

Answer 23

Check for median nerve compression

Question 24

Phalen’s sign tehnique

Answer 24

Ask patient to flex wrists 90 degrees and push the back of the hands togenter. Hold for 60 seconds

(numbness or tingling is positive)

Question 25

Hand grip

Answer 25

Have patient squeeze your second and third finger

Question 26

Thumb movement

Answer 26


Question 27

Thumb ROM

Answer 27


Question 28

ROM of finger joints

Answer 28

Have patient make a fist with thumbs on outside of fingers and release and straighten. Watch for even, equal movement of DIP and PIP joints

Question 29

Nerves in the hand

Answer 29


Question 30

Test sensation of hands

Answer 30

Test that patient has feeling in all areas supplied by each nerve on both palmar and dorsal surfaces

Question 31

Palpate carpal bones

Answer 31


Question 32

Spinal inspection from the side

Answer 32

cervical, thoracic, and lumbar curves 

Question 33

Spinal inspection from behind

Answer 33

* Upright spinal colum * Alignment of shoulders, iliac crests, and gluteal folds * skin markings, tags, or masses

Question 34

Palpation of spine

Answer 34

Each spinous process down spine * 7 cervical * 12 thoracic * 5 limbar * 

Question 35

Palpation in lower lumbar area

Answer 35

Check for step offs (one spinous process unusually prominent)

Question 36

Palpation of neck

Answer 36

Palpate facet joints 

Question 37

Neck flexion

Answer 37

"Bring your chin to your chest"

Question 38

Neck extension

Answer 38

"look up at the ceiling"

Question 39

Neck rotation

Answer 39

"look over one shoulder, then the other"

Question 40

Neck lateral bending

Answer 40

"Bring your ear to your shoulder

Question 41

Spinal flexion

Answer 41

"Bend forward and touch your toes"

Question 42

Spinal extension

Answer 42

"Lean back as far as you can"

Question 43

Spinal rotation

Answer 43

"Rotate from side to side"

Question 44

Spinal lateral bending

Answer 44

"Bend to the side from the waiste"

Question 45

Hip flexion

Answer 45

"Bend your knee to your chest and pull it against your abdomen" 

Question 46

Hip extension

Answer 46

"Lie face down, bend your knee and lift it up" OR "Lying flat, abduct lower leg and hang it off the table" 

Question 47

Hip abduction

Answer 47

"Lying flat, move lower leg away from midline" 

Question 48

Hip adduction

Answer 48

Lying flat, bend the knee and move leg toward midline 

Question 49

Hip External/Internal rotation

Answer 49

Flex the leg 90 degrees. and stabilize knee and thigh with one hand. Grasp ankle with other and swing lower leg  Lateral = internal rotation Medial = external rotation

Question 50

Hip internal rotation

Answer 50

Flex the leg 90 degrees. and stabilize knee and thigh with one hand. Grasp ankle with other and swing lower leg laterally

Question 51

McMurray test

Answer 51

Bring patient's heel to buttocks and internally rotate tibia. Hold rotation while you straighten the leg and feel lateral meniscus for pooping or clicking. Repeat with external rotation of tibia while palpating medial meniscus for popping or clicking 

Question 52

Knee Abduction (valgus stress test)

Answer 52

Fully extend leg and secure ankle. Appy pressure medially to side of the knee while pulling laterally on ankle. Repeat with knee slightly bent at 30 degree angle 

Question 53

Knee Adduction (varus stress test)

Answer 53

Fully extend leg and secure ankle. Appy pressure laterally to side of the knee while pulling medially on ankle. Repeat with knee slightly bent at 30 degrees 

Question 54

Anterior/Posterior drawer test technique

Answer 54

atient lays on back with hips at 45 degrees angle and knee bent at 90 degree angle. Sit on patient's foot to stabilize it. Place thumbs on superio, anterior aspect of tibia and give a brisk pull or push 

Question 55

Lachman test

Answer 55

Flex knee 20-30 degrees. Stabilize distal femur laterally with one hand and hold proximal tibia on the medial side with the other. Pull tibia forward and femur back simultaneously. Should feel a clunk  Assessing for ACL tear

Question 56

What does anterior drawer test for

Answer 56

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

Question 57

What does anterior drawer test for

Answer 57

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)

Question 58

What does valgus stress test assess

Answer 58

Medial cruciate ligament (MCL)

Question 59

What does varus stress test assess

Answer 59

Lateral cruciate ligament (LCL)

Question 60

Palpate anterior aspect of ankles

Answer 60

For bogginess, swelling, tenderness 

Question 61

Palpate achilles tendon

Answer 61

for nodules or tenderness 

Question 62

Palpate heel

Answer 62

for tenderness 

Question 63

Palpate medial and lateral malleolus

Answer 63

for tenderness 

Question 64

Palpate metatarsophalangeal joints

Answer 64

Compress forefoot between thumb and fingers 

Question 65

Palpate heads of the 5 metatarsals

Answer 65

Compress between your thumb and forefinger .jpg)

Question 66

Ankle flexion (plantar flexion)

Answer 66

Point foot towards floor

Question 67

Ankle extension (dorsiflexion)

Answer 67

Point your toes towards the ceiling

Question 68

Ankle inversion

Answer 68

Bend heel inward 

Question 69

Ankle eversion

Answer 69

Bend heel outward