DPT Sports Rehabilitation & Performance 5

Question 1

A gymnast presents with wrist pain on the dorsoradial aspect, worse with weight-bearing on an extended wrist. Positive scaphoid shift (Watson) test. Which diagnosis is MOST likely?

Accepted Answer

Scapholunate ligament instability

Answer

A positive Watson test (scaphoid shift test) indicates scapholunate dissociation, common in gymnasts due to repetitive axial loading through an extended wrist.

Question 2

During the late cocking phase of pitching, which muscle group undergoes the greatest eccentric demand to decelerate horizontal abduction and external rotation?

Accepted Answer

Posterior rotator cuff (infraspinatus, teres minor) and posterior deltoid

Answer

The posterior rotator cuff (infraspinatus, teres minor) and posterior deltoid eccentrically decelerate the massive external rotation and horizontal abduction forces generated during late cocking.

Question 3

An athletic trainer refers a cross-country runner with recurrent tibial stress fractures. DEXA scan shows low bone mineral density. Labs reveal low estrogen and a history of disordered eating. This presentation is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

Female athlete triad

Answer

The simultaneous presence of disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction (low estrogen), and low bone mineral density constitutes the Female Athlete Triad, a specific syndrome within the broader RED-S framework.

Question 4

A physical therapist is progressing an athlete through plyometric training. Which variable should be manipulated LAST to ensure safe progression?

Accepted Answer

Intensity (drop height, box height)

Answer

Intensity (increased drop heights, box heights, or depth jumps) carries the greatest injury risk and should be progressed only after volume, complexity, and frequency are well-tolerated.

Question 5

A football lineman returns from a Grade III ankle sprain. Single-leg balance time on the injured side is 12 seconds vs. 28 seconds on the uninjured side. This deficit MOST reflects impairment in which system?

Accepted Answer

Ankle proprioception and mechanoreceptor function

Answer

Severe ankle ligament disruption damages joint mechanoreceptors, impairing proprioceptive input and significantly reducing single-leg static balance performance.

(DPT) Board Certified Doctor of Physical Therapy Practice Test

(DPT) Board Certified Doctor of Physical Therapy Practice Test

DPT Sports Rehabilitation & Performance 5