Patient Assessment Flashcards

A patient's thoracic cage is shifted to the left of the pelvis in the frontal plane. How does CBP describe this posture?

Answer: Thoracic -Tx (left translation)

Side-to-side shift along the x-axis is a translation (Tx); in CBP convention, left translation is written -Tx.

What is the main purpose of a CBP follow-up radiograph taken after a corrective care program?

Answer: To objectively measure change in spinal alignment

Follow-up films let the clinician compare measured alignment to the baseline and judge whether structural correction happened.

In CBP radiographic analysis, the ideal sagittal alignment places the head (C2) roughly over which point?

Answer: The posterior-inferior corner of C7

In the ideal model, C2 sits vertically above C7, so any forward displacement from that point measures anterior head translation.

Which CBP tool uses digitized radiographs to compare a patient's spine with the ideal Harrison model?

Answer: PostureRay

PostureRay digitizes vertebral landmarks and overlays the patient's alignment on the Harrison ideal spine model.

A patient with low back pain shows a lumbar hypolordosis on a lateral film. Which measurement gives the global L1–L5 curve under CBP?

Answer: Absolute rotation angle using posterior tangents at L1 and L5

The global lumbar curve is measured as the absolute rotation angle between the L1 and L5 posterior tangent lines.

Which of the following is a recognized source of error in radiographic mensuration that CBP protocols try to reduce?

Answer: Patient positioning and projection distortion

Rotated or poorly positioned patients distort projections, so CBP standardizes positioning to limit measurement error.

A patient has an anterior head translation posture. On a CBP visual posture exam, the ear is typically seen:

Answer: Anterior to the shoulder line

With anterior head translation, the external auditory meatus moves forward of the acromion in the side view.