PRC Postural Assessment & Biomechanical Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing the Hruska Adduction Lift Test (HALT), what does a score of '1' on the right side indicate?
- Full right hip adduction with abdominal wall activation
- Minimal right hip adduction with significant trunk compensation (Correct answer)
- Right hip adduction with contralateral pelvic drop
- Inability to lift the right leg off the table
Correct answer: Minimal right hip adduction with significant trunk compensation
A HALT score of '1' indicates the patient can only achieve minimal hip adduction with significant compensatory trunk movement, reflecting poor right hip and pelvis positioning.
Question 2: In PRI assessment, what does 'AF IR' stand for and what is its clinical significance?
- Anterior Femoral Internal Rotation — the femur rotates inward relative to the acetabulum (Correct answer)
- Acetabular Femoral Internal Rotation — the acetabulum rotates inward on the femur
- Axial Femoral Internal Rotation — rotation through the femoral shaft axis only
- Anterior Force Internal Rotation — force vector driving internal rotation
Correct answer: Anterior Femoral Internal Rotation — the femur rotates inward relative to the acetabulum
AF IR (Acetabular-Femoral Internal Rotation) describes the femur rotating internally within the acetabulum, which is a key positional variable in PRI pattern recognition.
Question 3: A patient in a left AIC + right BC + left PEC (Posterior Exterior Chain) pattern complex is assessed. Where would the clinician most likely find rib cage asymmetry?
- Symmetric rib cage with no notable asymmetry
- Right rib flare with left thoracic depression and leftward rotation of lower thorax (Correct answer)
- Bilateral rib flare with kyphotic thorax
- Left rib flare with rightward thoracic rotation throughout
Correct answer: Right rib flare with left thoracic depression and leftward rotation of lower thorax
The combination of right BC and left PEC creates right rib flare, left thoracic depression, and a leftward-rotated lower thorax due to competing chain tensions.
Question 4: During gait analysis using PRI principles, what is expected to occur at the right hip during left stance phase in a neutral pelvis?
- Right hip should be in extension, abduction, and external rotation (Correct answer)
- Right hip should be in flexion, adduction, and internal rotation
- Right hip should be in neutral with no rotation
- Right hip should demonstrate maximal abduction
Correct answer: Right hip should be in extension, abduction, and external rotation
During left stance phase (right swing), the right hip should achieve extension, abduction, and external rotation to allow proper weight transfer and contralateral stepping.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of assessing the 'trunk shift' during a PRI postural examination?
- To measure lumbar lordosis angle
- To identify the direction the thorax has shifted relative to the pelvis, reflecting chain pattern (Correct answer)
- To assess quadratus lumborum length
- To identify hip flexor tightness
Correct answer: To identify the direction the thorax has shifted relative to the pelvis, reflecting chain pattern
Trunk shift assessment identifies lateral displacement of the thorax relative to the pelvis, which reflects the dominant PRI chain pattern pulling the thorax to one side.
Question 6: In PRI postural analysis, what does assessment of the scapular position reveal about thoracic and chain involvement?
- Scapular winging always indicates serratus anterior weakness regardless of chain pattern
- Scapular abduction or adduction reflects thoracic rotation and chain influences on the shoulder girdle (Correct answer)
- Scapular position is only relevant in shoulder pathology, not postural chains
- Bilateral scapular retraction is always the treatment goal
Correct answer: Scapular abduction or adduction reflects thoracic rotation and chain influences on the shoulder girdle
Scapular positioning reflects the underlying thoracic rotation and the influence of brachial and posterior chains on the shoulder girdle position.
Question 7: A clinician assesses cervical position during a PRI postural evaluation and finds the head is rotated left with right cervical sidebend. What chain pattern does this suggest?
- Left Brachial Chain influence
- Right Brachial Chain influence (Correct answer)
- Left AIC pattern without chain influence
- Bilateral Posterior Mediastinal Trunk involvement
Correct answer: Right Brachial Chain influence
Head rotation left with right cervical sidebend is consistent with a Right Brachial Chain influence, as the right BC pulls the head into ipsilateral sidebend and contralateral rotation.
PRC Postural Assessment & Biomechanical Analysis 3
When performing the Hruska Adduction Lift Test (HALT), what does a score of '1' on the right side indicate?