muscleskeletal questions
Which of the following conditions is the MOST likely cause of the gait deviation shown in the photograph?
Left quadriceps weakness
What deviation in the frontal plane should be expected upon postural observation of a patient with left thoracic scoliosis?
Left shoulder level higher than right
Which of the following statements BEST describes the cervical spine position of the patient in the photograph?
Lower cervical spine flexion with upper craniocervical extension
Which of the following instructions would be MOST appropriate for minimizing the discomfort of a patient who has an acute lumbar facet inflammation?
Maintain activity level within the limits of pain.
The exercise in the photograph can be used to increase which of the following pairs of LEFT shoulder motions?
Medial (internal) rotation and extension
In the exercise in the photograph, which of the following muscles is the agonist?
Middle trapezius
A patient's medical record indicates that the patient has a Syme amputation. Which of the following options BEST describes this type of amputation?
Removal of the foot at the ankle
A patient reports bilateral hand pain at rest and swelling of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints. These findings are MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?
Rheumatoid arthritis
With the patient in supine position, what is the BEST position to measure the length of the right hamstrings?
Right hip flexed, right knee extended, left hip in neutral, and left knee extended
To reduce a right convex rib hump in a patient who has scoliosis, which of the following stretching positions would be MOST appropriate?
Right sidelying position with the left upper extremity in full abduction
A patient who had rotator cuff surgery 3 months ago cannot fully flex the shoulder. Which of the following muscles should be strengthened to allow for full shoulder flexion?
Serratus anterior
The muscle being tested in the photograph is found to be weak. Which of the following left lower extremity gait deviations is MOST likely to be observed?
Steppage
Which muscles on the left side would be shortened the MOST as a result of the habitual posture shown in the illustration
Sternocleidomastoid
A patient sprained the posterior cruciate ligament 10 days ago. The patient's rehabilitation program should INITIALLY focus on which of the following interventions?
Straight leg raise
Which of the following exercises is MOST likely to normalize the postural alignment of an individual whose anterior superior iliac spine is anterior to the pubic symphysis?
Strengthening the abdominals
Which of the following therapeutic exercises would MOST effectively reduce an excessive anterior tilt of the pelvis?
Strengthening the lower abdominal muscles and stretching the hip flexor muscles
In order to isolate the gluteus maximus while establishing a muscle grade of Good (4/5), the patient should be positioned:
prone with knee flexed.
Ely Test
rectus femoris
A physical therapist assistant is treating a patient post ulnar fracture who has limited forearm supination. A common substitution to watch for when measuring forearm supination is:
shoulder external rotation.
A physical therapist assistant manually muscle tests a patient's lateral (external) hip rotators. The assistant should position the patient in:
sitting with hip and knee flexed 90°.
Which of the following intervention goals is MOST appropriate for a patient who has thoracic outlet syndrome?
to strengthen the rhomboids and lengthen the scalenes
Which of the following muscles or groups of muscles is MOST strongly activated during coughing?
Abdominals
Which of the following measurements would be considered a normal body mass index?
20 kg/m2
Abdominal Testing
3/5: arms straight in front 4/5: arms across chest 5/5: hands behind head
Which of the following exercises is CONTRAINDICATED for a patient who is 2 weeks post total shoulder arthroplasty with rotator cuff repair?
Active shoulder abduction
A patient who had a right posterolateral total hip arthroplasty 2 months ago has a goal of being able to rise from a chair without upper extremity use. Which of the following progressions for the exercise shown in the photograph would BEST achieve the desired outcome?
Adding extension of the left knee
The exercise shown in the photograph is LEAST appropriate for a patient who has which of the following characteristics? *corner wall stretch*
Anterior glenohumeral instability
A 16-year-old patient reports developing pain in the shoulders after a 3-year history of athletic competitions that required repetitive use of the arm in a movement pattern of lateral (external) rotation and horizontal abduction. Which of the following impairments is MOST consistent with the patient's mechanism of injury?
Anterior glenohumeral joint instability
The anterior drawer test of the ankle is used to test the integrity of which of the following structures?
Anterior talofibular ligament
When assessing normal standing posture, where should the gravity line fall?
Anterior to the lateral malleolus
A patient has 85° of active left knee flexion. Which of the following functional activities should cause the patient the MOST difficulty?
Ascending an 8-inch (20.3-cm) step with the left leg leading
A physical therapist assistant is reviewing postoperative precautions with a patient who had a total hip arthroplasty with an anterolateral surgical approach. Which of the following instructions is MOST appropriate for the patient?
Avoid activities that involve standing on the operated leg and rotating away from the involved side.
A newborn demonstrates excessive ankle dorsiflexion, a laterally curved forefoot, and hindfoot valgus. Which of the following positional deformities BEST describes this clinical presentation?
Calcaneovalgus deformity
To increase the difficulty of the exercise being performed in the photograph, which of the following exercise modifications would be MOST appropriate?
Change the arm position to folded across the chest.
Which of the following interventions is MOST appropriate for a patient who has hemophilia and is in the acute stage of joint healing following a hemarthrosis of the knee joint?
Cold pack to the knee
A physical therapist assistant is instructing a patient in prone shoulder extension using a 5-lb (2.3-kg) weight. What type of muscular contraction of the latissimus dorsi is involved when the patient extends from 0° to 30°?
Concentric
Which of the following terms is used to describe a grating sound made by movement of bone ends rubbing together, indicating a fracture or joint destruction?
Crepitation
A patient exhibits a positive Trendelenburg sign in left stance phase. Which of the following muscles is MOST likely weak?
Left gluteus medius
Which of the following problems is MOST important to address in a 10-year-old child who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy?
Decreased ability to walk independently
A patient consistently catches the right toe box of the shoe while walking. Which of the following muscle groups MOST likely needs to be strengthened?
Dorsiflexion muscles
During a stand-to-sit transfer, which of the following muscle functions is occurring?
Eccentric quadriceps control of knee flexion
A patient with a partial biceps brachii tendon tear may exhibit pain during which of the following passive motions?
Elbow extension
During range of motion testing, which of the following motions is MOST likely to result in a soft end-feel?
Elbow flexion
A physical therapist assistant is performing knee flexion passive range of motion for a patient who had a total knee arthroplasty 4 weeks ago. The patient stops additional motion through verbal cues and muscle guarding. Which of the following end-feels is MOST likely to be present?
Empty
Pronation of the subtalar joint is a combination of which of the following motions?
Eversion, abduction, and dorsiflexion
When applying a stretch to an infant who has right torticollis, which of the following cervical motions would be MOST appropriate?
Extension, left side bending, and right rotation
Avascular necrosis is MOST likely to occur in a patient who has which of the following conditions?
Femoral neck fracture
A patient is performing the exercise in the photograph against the manual resistance of the physical therapist assistant's left hand. This exercise is MOST appropriate for strengthening which of the following muscles?
Fibularis (peroneus) longus
The joint mobilization shown in the photograph would MOST likely increase which of the following movements of the shoulder?
Flexion and medial (internal) rotation
Patellofemoral joint compressive forces are GREATEST during which of the following exercises/activities?
Full squat
A patient who has osteoarthritis affecting both knees recently began taking naproxen (Naprosyn). Which of the following side effects is MOST likely to occur?
Gastric irritation
An eccentric contraction of the deltoid muscle occurs when the arm is:
lowered from 90° to 0° of shoulder abduction.
During a lower extremity manual muscle test, a patient is on a table in supine position and is instructed to move the lower extremity out to the side. The physical therapist is MOST likely testing which of the following muscles?
Gluteus medius
90-90 straight leg raise test
HAMMIES
Which muscle is MOST lengthened during hip flexion in long sitting while maintaining neutral spine position?
Hamstrings
Which of the following tests is being performed in the photograph?
Hawkins-Kennedy test
The exercise shown in the photograph would be MOST appropriate for a patient who has which of the following conditions of the lumbar spine?
Herniated disc
Thomas Test
Hip Flexor
Which of the following exercises would be MOST beneficial for a patient who has a transtibial amputation?
Hip and knee extension in prone position
Which of the following muscle functions and grades are being tested in the photograph?
Hip flexion, Poor (2/5)
A patient has degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with bilateral radicular pain. Which of the following interventions would be MOST appropriate?
Hip flexor and lumbar paraspinal stretches
A patient falls forward onto an outstretched upper extremity and reports pain and swelling in the elbow and forearm. The patient has a deformity of the elbow and refuses to move the extremity. The patient MOST likely has which of the following injuries?
Humeroulnar joint dislocation
Shortness of which of the following muscles is MOST likely contributing to the posture of the patient in the photograph?
Iliopsoas
A patient reports exacerbation of knee pain localized to the lateral femoral condyle during running. The patient MOST likely has which of the following conditions?
Iliotibial band friction syndrome
Which of the following muscles is MOST directly strengthened by the exercise being performed in the photograph?
Infraspinatus
A patient reports pain with palpation inferior to the posterior corner of the acromion with active horizontal adduction and lateral (external) rotation of the humerus. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions?
Infraspinatus tendinitis
A patient with adhesive capsulitis demonstrates a capsular pattern of limitation. What shoulder motion would be the MOST limited?
Lateral (external) rotation
A positive result for a varus stress test to the knee would indicate a tear in which of the following structures?
Lateral collateral ligament
A patient who performed several sessions of high-intensity exercise over the past 2 weeks has rope-like trigger points that are severely painful to touch and cause local and referred pain. The patient MOST likely has which of the following conditions?
Myofascial pain syndrome
Which of the following results is the BEST indicator of a ruptured Achilles tendon when squeezing a patient's posterior lower leg?
No foot motion
Four months after sustaining a fractured humerus, a patient has reached a plateau. Active and passive shoulder motions have improved but remain impaired. The patient reports pain and tenderness when the fracture site is palpated. The patient's temperature is 98.6°F (37°C). What is the MOST likely cause of the patient's lack of recent progress?
Nonunion of the fracture
The plan of care for a patient following total knee arthroplasty calls for moist heat to the affected area. Redness, swelling, and increased warmth are noted at the knee prior to treatment. Which of the following actions should the physical therapist assistant take FIRST?
Notify the physical therapist of the changes.
Which of the following statements BEST describes an advantage of performing open-chain exercises rather than closed-chain exercises?
Open-chain exercise allows for isolated contraction of a specific muscle.
Which of the following conditions is BEST characterized by early-stage joint space narrowing and articular cartilage erosion, and late-stage osteophyte formation and articular cartilage fissuring and eburnation?
Osteoarthritis
Passive stretching exercises are CONTRAINDICATED for a child who has which of the following conditions?
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Which of the following structures would be MOST commonly involved in a surgical release for Dupuytren contracture?
Palmar fascia
For a patient who had a total shoulder arthroplasty 5 days ago, which of the following interventions would MOST effectively minimize joint adhesions?
Passive range of motion in a pain-free range
The altered joint alignment of the patient's left knee shown in the photograph is MOST likely to be associated with which of the following disorders?
Patellofemoral syndrome
The exercise shown in the photograph is MOST likely used to stretch which of the following muscles? *Corner wall stretch*
Pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid, and coracobrachialis
The test shown in the photograph is used to assess shortening of which of the following muscles?
Pectoralis minor
Which of the following hip passive accessory glides is MOST likely to improve the passive motion depicted in the photograph?
Posterior
A physical therapist assistant is instructing a patient on how to activate the multifidus. The intervention would be MOST effectively performed with the patient in which of the following positions?
Prone
A patient with a total knee replacement (TKR) who has a 30° knee extension lag should perform strengthening exercises for which muscle?
Quadriceps femoris
During the left swing phase of gait, a patient exhibits the gait deviation shown in the photograph. Which of the following actions is MOST appropriate to address this problem?
Strengthening the right hip abductors
A patient who had a rotator cuff repair 4 weeks ago reports pain with passive shoulder range of motion in all planes and has a capsular end-feel. Ecchymosis and swelling along the proximal arm is resolving. The patient is MOST likely in which phase of healing?
Subacute
A patient is unable to lift the hand away from the back in the position shown in the photograph. Which of the following muscles is MOST likely weak?
Subscapularis
Surgical intervention to remove the lining of a joint is BEST described by which of the following terms?
Synovectomy
For a patient who had a posterior-approach hip arthroplasty 1 week ago, which of the following modifications of the activity shown in the video is BEST? *Putting on socks*
Teach use of a sock donner.
The Ober test is used to assess which of the following structures?
Tensor fasciae latae
What is the proper placement of the goniometer to measure dorsiflexion?
The fulcrum is aligned with the lateral malleolus and the distal arm is aligned parallel to the fifth metatarsal.
A patient exhibits calcaneal valgus. Which of the following conditions is MOST likely to also be present?
Tibialis posterior tendinitis
Spinal stabilization exercises are designed to specifically target which of the following muscles?
Transversus abdominis and multifidus
A patient is instructed to keep the eyes level, tuck the chin, and draw the head backward. Based on the instructions provided, which of the following motions are occurring in the cervical spine?
Upper cervical flexion, lower cervical extension
A patient who is performing aquatic exercises increases the speed of the movements. Which of the following properties of water will MOST affect this change?
Viscosity
Which of the following hand deformities is MOST commonly related to the progression of rheumatoid arthritis?
Volar (palmar) subluxation with ulnar drift
A patient has limited elbow extension. Which of the following options BEST describes the active inhibition technique that is appropriate for the patient?
With the elbow extended, contract-relax the tight muscle and stretch into elbow extension.
A patient with a short residual limb post transfemoral amputation can avoid muscle shortening in the residual limb by lying with the hip in:
extension with neutral rotation.
A patient performing quadriceps sets exhibits greater knee extension range of motion in supine than in long-sitting position. The MOST likely reason for this finding is tightness in the:
hamstrings.
Before starting closed-chain exercises with a patient post anterior cruciate ligament repair, a physical therapist assistant should check whether the patient:
is allowed full weight-bearing.
A patient with rheumatoid arthritis reports occasional right wrist pain when performing normal household activities. The joint protection strategy that the physical therapist assistant should recommend is to have the patient:
lift, push, and carry objects with both hands.