FRC Functional Anatomy & Biomechanics — Questions and Answers

Question 1: According to the convex-concave rule, when a convex joint surface moves on a fixed concave surface, how do roll and glide relate?

Roll and glide occur in the same direction
Roll and glide occur in opposite directions (Correct answer)
Only roll occurs with no glide
Only glide occurs with no roll

Correct answer: Roll and glide occur in opposite directions

A convex surface moving on a fixed concave surface rolls one way and glides the opposite way.

Question 2: During glenohumeral abduction, which way does the humeral head glide on the glenoid?

Superiorly
Anteriorly
Inferiorly (Correct answer)
Medially

Correct answer: Inferiorly

The convex humeral head rolls superiorly and glides inferiorly to remain centered during abduction.

Question 3: In open-chain knee extension, the concave tibial plateau moves on the convex femur; which way does the tibia glide?

Posteriorly
Medially
Laterally
Anteriorly (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Anteriorly

With concave-on-convex motion, roll and glide occur in the same direction, so the tibia glides anteriorly.

Question 4: What is the close-packed position of the tibiofemoral joint?

Full extension with tibial external rotation (Correct answer)
90 degrees of flexion
25 degrees of flexion
Full flexion with tibial internal rotation

Correct answer: Full extension with tibial external rotation

The knee is close-packed in full extension with external rotation of the tibia, where congruency and ligament tension are maximal.

Question 5: Which term describes the movement of bones through space as seen from outside the body, such as flexion or abduction?

Arthrokinematics
Osteokinematics (Correct answer)
Accessory motion
Joint play

Correct answer: Osteokinematics

Osteokinematics describes gross bone movement through planes, while arthrokinematics describes motion between joint surfaces.

Question 6: Which arthrokinematic motion best describes the radial head during forearm pronation and supination?

Roll
Glide
Spin (Correct answer)
Distraction

Correct answer: Spin

The radial head spins on the capitulum, rotating about a fixed axis without translating.

Question 7: During the final degrees of open-chain knee extension, what does the screw-home mechanism involve?

Femoral external rotation on the tibia
Tibial internal rotation on the femur
Patellar medial tilt
Tibial external rotation on the femur (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Tibial external rotation on the femur

In open chain, the tibia externally rotates on the femur to lock the knee into full extension.

Question 8: Which type of collagen predominates in tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules?

Type I (Correct answer)
Type II
Type III
Type IV

Correct answer: Type I

Type I collagen gives dense connective tissues their high tensile strength.

Question 9: What does mechanotransduction refer to in tissue adaptation?

Nerve conduction of pain signals
Cells converting mechanical load into biochemical responses (Correct answer)
Passive stretching of muscle fibers
Transfer of force between kinetic chain segments

Correct answer: Cells converting mechanical load into biochemical responses

Mechanotransduction is how cells sense mechanical stimuli and turn them into signals that drive tissue remodeling.

Question 10: Which principle states that soft tissues remodel along the lines of mechanical stress imposed on them?

Wolff's law
Hooke's law
Davis's law (Correct answer)
Sherrington's law

Correct answer: Davis's law

Davis's law is the soft-tissue counterpart of Wolff's law for bone.

Question 11: A ligament held under a constant load slowly lengthens over time; what is this viscoelastic property called?

Stress relaxation
Hysteresis
Plastic failure
Creep (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Creep

Creep is continued deformation under a constant load over time.

Question 12: A tissue is held at a fixed length and the internal tension gradually decreases; what is this phenomenon?

Stress relaxation (Correct answer)
Creep
Elastic recoil
Hysteresis

Correct answer: Stress relaxation

Stress relaxation is the decline in tension when length is held constant.

Question 13: The energy lost as heat during a loading and unloading cycle of connective tissue is called what?

Creep
Hysteresis (Correct answer)
Viscosity
Stiffness

Correct answer: Hysteresis

Hysteresis is the difference between the loading and unloading curves, representing energy dissipated.

Question 14: Which principle says the body adapts specifically to the type of demand placed on it?

Overload reversal
Reciprocal inhibition
SAID principle (Correct answer)
All-or-none principle

Correct answer: SAID principle

Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands means tissues adapt to the exact stimulus applied.

Question 15: A person cannot fully flex the knee while the hip is extended because the hamstrings are too short to generate force. What is this called?

Passive insufficiency
Reciprocal inhibition
Autogenic inhibition
Active insufficiency (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Active insufficiency

Active insufficiency occurs when a two-joint muscle is shortened across both joints and can no longer produce effective force.

Question 16: Limited hip flexion with the knee extended, caused by hamstring tension, is an example of what?

Passive insufficiency (Correct answer)
Active insufficiency
Capsular restriction
Joint hypermobility

Correct answer: Passive insufficiency

Passive insufficiency happens when a two-joint antagonist cannot lengthen enough across both joints.

Question 17: According to the length-tension relationship, at what length can a muscle fiber generate maximal active force?

Fully shortened
Near its resting length (Correct answer)
Fully lengthened
At any length equally

Correct answer: Near its resting length

Optimal actin-myosin overlap near resting length allows maximal cross-bridge formation.

Question 18: How many rotational degrees of freedom does the hip joint have?

One
Two
Three (Correct answer)
Four

Correct answer: Three

As a ball-and-socket joint, the hip moves in sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes.

Question 19: The humeroulnar joint is best classified as which joint type?

Ball-and-socket
Pivot
Saddle
Hinge (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Hinge

The humeroulnar joint is a hinge allowing only flexion and extension.

Question 20: What is the commonly cited overall ratio of glenohumeral to scapulothoracic motion during arm elevation?

2:1 (Correct answer)
1:1
3:1
1:2

Correct answer: 2:1

Scapulohumeral rhythm is classically described as about 2 degrees of glenohumeral motion for every 1 degree of scapular upward rotation.

Question 21: What is the classic capsular pattern of the glenohumeral joint, from most to least restricted?

Flexion > extension > abduction
External rotation > abduction > internal rotation (Correct answer)
Internal rotation > flexion > abduction
Abduction > external rotation > extension

Correct answer: External rotation > abduction > internal rotation

Cyriax described glenohumeral capsular restriction as greatest in external rotation, then abduction, then internal rotation.

FRC Functional Anatomy & Biomechanics

According to the convex-concave rule, when a convex joint surface moves on a fixed concave surface, how do roll and glide relate?

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