ATC Clinical Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a special orthopedic test, a positive Lachman test indicates injury to which structure?
- Posterior cruciate ligament
- Anterior cruciate ligament (Correct answer)
- Medial collateral ligament
- Lateral meniscus
Correct answer: Anterior cruciate ligament
The Lachman test assesses ACL integrity by applying an anterior tibial translation force with the knee at 20–30° of flexion.
Question 2: An athlete presents with point tenderness at the medial epicondyle, pain with resisted wrist flexion, and numbness in the ring and little fingers. The MOST likely diagnosis is:
- Lateral epicondylitis
- Medial epicondylitis with ulnar nerve involvement (Correct answer)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
Correct answer: Medial epicondylitis with ulnar nerve involvement
Medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) can involve the adjacent ulnar nerve, producing sensory symptoms in its distribution (ring and little fingers).
Question 3: Which assessment tool uses the categories of eye opening, verbal response, and motor response to evaluate level of consciousness?
- SCAT5
- Glasgow Coma Scale (Correct answer)
- BESS
- Sport Concussion Assessment Tool
Correct answer: Glasgow Coma Scale
The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores eye opening (1–4), verbal response (1–5), and motor response (1–6) to quantify level of consciousness.
Question 4: A positive Thompson test (Simmonds test) is characterized by:
- Pain with passive dorsiflexion of the foot
- Absence of plantarflexion when the calf is squeezed (Correct answer)
- Clicking sensation at the subtalar joint
- Increased anterior translation of the talus
Correct answer: Absence of plantarflexion when the calf is squeezed
In an Achilles tendon rupture, squeezing the calf (Thompson test) fails to produce plantarflexion because the tendon continuity is disrupted.
Question 5: During a lower extremity assessment, the athletic trainer notes a valgus stress test is positive at 0° of knee flexion. This finding MOST likely implicates:
- Medial collateral ligament only
- Medial collateral ligament and posteromedial capsule (Correct answer)
- Lateral collateral ligament
- Posterior cruciate ligament
Correct answer: Medial collateral ligament and posteromedial capsule
A positive valgus stress test at full extension implicates both the MCL and the posteromedial capsular structures, indicating greater instability.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the Ottawa Ankle Rules?
- A series of strength tests to rule out syndesmotic injury
- Clinical decision guidelines using bony tenderness and weight-bearing ability to determine need for X-ray (Correct answer)
- A grading system for ankle sprains based on swelling
- A balance protocol used after ankle injury
Correct answer: Clinical decision guidelines using bony tenderness and weight-bearing ability to determine need for X-ray
The Ottawa Ankle Rules use specific bony tenderness locations and inability to bear weight to decide if radiographs are warranted, reducing unnecessary imaging.
Question 7: An athlete is suspected of having compartment syndrome after a lower leg contusion. Which finding would MOST support this diagnosis?
- Decreased pain with passive stretch of involved muscles
- Pain disproportionate to injury with pain on passive stretch (Correct answer)
- Rapid improvement after ice application
- Normal distal pulse with no sensory changes
Correct answer: Pain disproportionate to injury with pain on passive stretch
Acute compartment syndrome classically presents with pain out of proportion to the injury and worsening pain with passive stretch of the muscles within the affected compartment.
ATC Clinical Assessment 2
During a special orthopedic test, a positive Lachman test indicates injury to which structure?