Lower Extremity Injury Assessment Flashcards
6 cards from real NATA-BOC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Lower Extremity Injury Assessment flashcards as text
An athlete presents with anterior knee pain that worsens when descending stairs or after prolonged sitting. Compression of the patella during quadriceps contraction reproduces the pain. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer: Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is characterized by anterior knee pain that worsens with activities loading the patellofemoral joint, such as stair descent and prolonged sitting. The positive Clarke test (patellar compression during quad contraction) is a hallmark finding.
A basketball player lands from a jump and immediately grabs the back of the ankle, reporting a sensation of being kicked. Examination reveals a palpable defect proximal to the calcaneus. What is the most likely injury?
Answer: Achilles tendon rupture
The classic presentation of an acute Achilles tendon rupture includes the sensation of being struck in the posterior leg, a palpable defect in the tendon, and the inability to actively plantar flex against resistance.
When performing the Lachman test, what is the optimal degree of knee flexion to isolate the anterior cruciate ligament?
Answer: 20-30 degrees
The Lachman test is performed with the knee flexed to 20-30 degrees, which relaxes the hamstrings and secondary restraints, allowing the ACL to be the primary structure tested. This position maximizes the sensitivity of the test.
An athlete reports numbness and tingling on the dorsum of the foot between the first and second toes after sustaining a knee injury. Which nerve is most likely involved?
Answer: Deep peroneal (fibular) nerve
The deep peroneal nerve provides sensory innervation to the web space between the first and second toes. This nerve can be injured with lateral knee injuries, fibular head fractures, or crossing the legs for prolonged periods.
Which clinical test assesses for a tear of the medial meniscus?
Answer: McMurray test with external rotation and valgus
The McMurray test for the medial meniscus is performed by flexing the knee fully, applying valgus force and external rotation, then extending the knee. Pain or a click along the medial joint line indicates a medial meniscus tear.
A gymnast reports chronic bilateral anterior knee pain just below the patella. She has palpable prominence of the tibial tuberosities bilaterally. Which condition is most consistent with this presentation?
Answer: Osgood-Schlatter disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a traction apophysitis at the tibial tuberosity caused by repetitive quadriceps contraction. It typically presents in adolescents with tibial tuberosity prominence and tenderness, often bilaterally.