Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Interventions Flashcards

A patient with total knee arthroplasty is at post-op day 3. Which ROM goal is standard for discharge from acute care?

Answer: 0–90 degrees of knee flexion

Achieving 0–90 degrees of knee flexion is the typical acute care discharge criterion following total knee arthroplasty to ensure safe functional mobility.

Which outcome measure is most appropriate for assessing functional limitations in a patient with shoulder impingement syndrome?

Answer: Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)

The SPADI is a validated, region-specific outcome measure that assesses pain and functional disability related to shoulder conditions such as impingement.

During gait retraining for a patient with chronic low back pain, which cue is most supported by evidence to reduce lumbar loads?

Answer: Increasing step rate (cadence) by 5–10%

Increasing step rate by 5–10% reduces peak hip adduction and trunk lateral lean, decreasing lumbar loading during gait in patients with chronic LBP.

Which therapeutic ultrasound parameter produces the greatest thermal effect for treating subacute muscle spasm?

Answer: Continuous mode at 1 MHz, 1.5 W/cm²

Continuous mode maximizes thermal delivery; 1 MHz penetrates deeper tissues (3–5 cm), and 1.5 W/cm² provides sufficient intensity to raise tissue temperature therapeutically.

A patient with a distal radius fracture is immobilized for 6 weeks. Which intervention addresses the most common secondary complication upon cast removal?

Answer: Active and passive ROM exercises for wrist, forearm, and digit mobility

After 6 weeks of immobilization, the most prevalent complication is joint stiffness; restoring ROM through active and passive exercises is the primary initial intervention.

Which strengthening exercise best targets the gluteus medius in isolation to address Trendelenburg gait?

Answer: Sidestepping with a resistance band around the ankles

Sidestepping with a resistance band preferentially activates the gluteus medius during frontal plane hip abduction, directly addressing the lateral hip weakness causing Trendelenburg gait.

In the Cyriax selective tissue tension examination, a painful arc during active shoulder abduction is most consistent with which structure?

Answer: Supraspinatus tendon impingement

A painful arc between 60–120 degrees of shoulder abduction is the classic sign of supraspinatus tendon impingement beneath the coracoacromial arch.