Assessment and Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real PCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Assessment and Evaluation flashcards as text
When performing a sensory assessment, a patient cannot distinguish between two points placed 6 mm apart on the fingertip. This finding most likely indicates impairment of which sensory receptor?
Answer: Meissner's corpuscles
Meissner's corpuscles mediate fine touch and two-point discrimination, particularly in glabrous skin of the fingertips.
A physiotherapist is assessing a patient post-tibial fracture. The patient reports burning pain, allodynia, and excessive sweating of the limb. Which condition should the therapist suspect?
Answer: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
CRPS presents with burning pain, allodynia, autonomic changes (sweating, temperature), and trophic changes following injury or immobilization.
During gait analysis, a patient demonstrates excessive lateral trunk lean toward the stance limb. Which muscle weakness most likely causes this compensatory pattern?
Answer: Hip abductors (gluteus medius)
Weakness of the hip abductors causes a Trendelenburg gait, where the trunk leans over the weak side to reduce the demand on the abductors.
A physiotherapist uses the Berg Balance Scale to assess a patient. A score of 45/56 indicates which level of fall risk?
Answer: Medium fall risk
Berg Balance Scale scores of 41–48 indicate medium fall risk; scores ≤40 indicate high risk, and scores ≥49 indicate low risk.
When measuring active cervical rotation, which starting position is standard?
Answer: Sitting upright with the spine neutral
Cervical rotation ROM is standardized in a seated upright position with the spine in neutral to isolate cervical movement.
A 68-year-old patient scores 22 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). How should the physiotherapist interpret this score?
Answer: Mild cognitive impairment
MMSE scores of 18–23 indicate mild cognitive impairment; 10–17 is moderate, below 10 is severe, and 24–30 is normal.
Which outcome measure is MOST appropriate for tracking functional recovery in a patient with a rotator cuff repair?
Answer: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score
The ASES score is specifically designed for surgical shoulder conditions and is widely validated for rotator cuff repair outcomes.