ATC Clinical Evaluation & Diagnosis 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A soccer player complains of groin pain that increases with resisted hip adduction and passive abduction. The most likely diagnosis is:
- Iliopsoas strain
- Adductor strain (Correct answer)
- Athletic pubalgia
- Hip labral tear
Correct answer: Adductor strain
Adductor strains reproduce pain with resisted adduction and stretching through passive abduction.
Question 2: During a functional ankle assessment, excessive subtalar pronation during gait is best described as:
- Calcaneal inversion with plantar flexion
- Calcaneal eversion with dorsiflexion and abduction (Correct answer)
- Calcaneal inversion with dorsiflexion
- Calcaneal eversion with plantar flexion
Correct answer: Calcaneal eversion with dorsiflexion and abduction
Pronation is a triplanar motion combining calcaneal eversion, dorsiflexion, and forefoot abduction.
Question 3: Which special test evaluates the integrity of the transverse carpal ligament and is used to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome?
- Allen test
- Phalen test (Correct answer)
- Finkelstein test
- Watson test
Correct answer: Phalen test
Phalen test involves sustained wrist flexion to compress the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, reproducing paresthesias.
Question 4: A wrestler presents with acute neck pain and transient bilateral upper extremity paresthesias after a collision. The athletic trainer's first priority is to:
- Perform a cervical compression test
- Immobilize the cervical spine and activate EMS (Correct answer)
- Apply ice and reassess in 15 minutes
- Perform a brachial plexus stretch test
Correct answer: Immobilize the cervical spine and activate EMS
Bilateral neurological symptoms after cervical trauma indicate possible spinal cord involvement requiring immediate spinal precautions and EMS activation.
Question 5: The Q-angle measurement in females is typically larger than in males, predisposing them to which condition?
- IT band syndrome
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome (Correct answer)
- Patellar tendinopathy
- Medial compartment osteoarthritis
Correct answer: Patellofemoral pain syndrome
A larger Q-angle increases lateral patellar tracking forces, predisposing to patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Question 6: During history taking, which question would best distinguish a stress fracture from shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome)?
- Does the pain occur bilaterally?
- Does the pain continue after exercise cessation? (Correct answer)
- Is the pain described as burning?
- Does the pain improve with a warm-up?
Correct answer: Does the pain continue after exercise cessation?
Shin splint pain typically diminishes after exercise stops, while stress fracture pain often persists or worsens at rest.
Question 7: A positive Valgus stress test at 30° of knee flexion with no laxity at 0° indicates injury to which structure?
- Posterior cruciate ligament
- Medial collateral ligament (superficial fibers) (Correct answer)
- Posteromedial capsule only
- Medial meniscus
Correct answer: Medial collateral ligament (superficial fibers)
At 30° flexion the posterior capsule is relaxed, isolating the superficial MCL; laxity here without laxity at 0° indicates isolated superficial MCL injury.
ATC Clinical Evaluation & Diagnosis 4
A soccer player complains of groin pain that increases with resisted hip adduction and passive abduction.
The most likely diagnosis is: