SCS Patient Assessment & Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a sideline evaluation of an athlete with a suspected ACL injury, which special test has the highest sensitivity for detecting an acute ACL rupture?
- Lachman test (Correct answer)
- Anterior drawer test
- Pivot shift test
- McMurray test
Correct answer: Lachman test
The Lachman test has superior sensitivity (~85%) compared to the anterior drawer test for acute ACL ruptures due to reduced hamstring guarding.
Question 2: A football player reports shoulder pain after being tackled. The sulcus sign is positive. Which condition does this finding most suggest?
- Inferior glenohumeral instability (Correct answer)
- Rotator cuff tear
- AC joint sprain
- Biceps tendon rupture
Correct answer: Inferior glenohumeral instability
A positive sulcus sign indicates inferior glenohumeral instability, seen as a depression below the acromion when traction is applied to the arm.
Question 3: An athlete presents with lateral knee pain that worsens with downhill running. Noble compression test is positive. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Iliotibial band syndrome (Correct answer)
- Lateral meniscus tear
- Proximal tibiofibular joint sprain
- Common peroneal nerve entrapment
Correct answer: Iliotibial band syndrome
A positive Noble compression test (pain at 30° knee flexion with pressure over the lateral epicondyle) is diagnostic of IT band syndrome.
Question 4: Which grading scale is most appropriate for quantifying muscle strength during a clinical examination of an athlete?
- Medical Research Council (MRC) scale (Correct answer)
- Functional Movement Screen
- Cybex isokinetic scale
- Visual Analog Scale
Correct answer: Medical Research Council (MRC) scale
The MRC scale grades muscle strength from 0–5 and is the standard manual muscle testing tool in clinical evaluation.
Question 5: A basketball player complains of anterior knee pain that worsens with stair climbing. The Clarke's sign is positive. What does this suggest?
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome (Correct answer)
- Patellar tendinopathy
- Hoffa's fat pad impingement
- Prepatellar bursitis
Correct answer: Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Clarke's sign (crepitus or pain with resisted quadriceps contraction while pressing the patella distally) suggests patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Question 6: During assessment of a wrestler's cervical spine, Spurling's test is positive. This finding is most consistent with:
- Cervical nerve root compression (Correct answer)
- Vertebral artery insufficiency
- Cervical instability
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
Correct answer: Cervical nerve root compression
Spurling's test (axial compression with ipsilateral lateral flexion and rotation) reproduces radicular symptoms indicating cervical nerve root compression.
Question 7: When evaluating ankle stability after an inversion sprain, which ligament is specifically assessed by the anterior drawer test of the ankle?
- Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) (Correct answer)
- Calcaneofibular ligament (CFL)
- Posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL)
- Deltoid ligament
Correct answer: Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL)
The anterior drawer test of the ankle isolates the ATFL, the most commonly injured ligament in lateral ankle sprains.
SCS Patient Assessment & Evaluation 2
During a sideline evaluation of an athlete with a suspected ACL injury, which special test has the highest sensitivity for detecting an acute ACL rupture?