Anatomy
A physical therapist indicates that a patient's wrist ulnar deviation is within normal limits after measuring the available range of motion with a goniometer. What would be the MOST likely recorded value?
A) 0-10 degrees
B) 0-20 degrees
C) 0-30 degrees
D) 0-40 degrees
C. 0-30 degrees
A physical therapist performs a sensory assessment on a patient who sustained brain damage secondary to closed head trauma. The therapist notes that the patient has impaired stereognosis, two-point discrimination, and barognosis. Which type of sensations are MOST representative of the patient's impairments?
A) Superficial sensations
B) Deep sensations
C) Combined cortical sensations
D) Cutaneous sensations
C (Combined cortical sensations)
A physical therapist reviews recent laboratory results for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. An elevated finding of which blood test is MOST commonly associated with the presence of an autoimmune disease?
A) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
B) C-reactive protein
C) Rheumatoid factor assay
D) Complete blood count
C (Rheumatoid factor assay)
A patient notes that the first sign of their illness was the development of a slight tremor in the right arm that was primarily present during periods of inactivity. Which medical condition is MOST consistent with this clinical presentation?
A) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
B) Huntington's disease
C) Parkinson's disease
D) Stroke
C (Parkinson's disease)
A physical therapist discusses fitness parameters with a 30-year-old patient who is five months pregnant with no complications. Which of the following would be the MOST appropriate exercise recommendation?
A) Mild to moderate walking program performed three times per week
B) Supine mat exercises for lumbar, pelvic, and lower extremity strengthening
C) Isotonic strengthening at 100% of one repetition maximum
D) Moderate intensity treadmill running at 5% elevation
A (Mild to moderate walking program performed three times per week)
A physical therapist completes a manual muscle test on a patient diagnosed with C6 quadriplegia. Based on the patient's level of injury, which muscle would NOT typically be innervated?
A) Pectoralis major
B) Flexor digitorum superficialis
C) Serratus anterior
D) Extensor carpi radialis longus
B) Flexor digitorum superficialis
A 35-year-old patient is diagnosed with a progressive genetic disease characterized by premature cell death within the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex. What is the patient’s MOST likely diagnosis?
A) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
B) Huntington’s disease
C) Multiple sclerosis
D) Parkinson’s disease
B (Huntington’s disease)
A football player reports to physical therapy with a referral that reads "suspected partial biceps tear - evaluate and treat" after sustaining an injury two days ago. Which objective finding would be MOST consistent with this condition?
A) Pain with passive shoulder abduction
B) Pain with resisted shoulder extension
C) Pain with resisted forearm supination
D) Pain with contralateral resisted elbow flexion
C (Pain with resisted forearm supination)
A 48-year-old patient experiencing six months of progressive hand weakness reports that their right foot has recently begun to “slap” the ground when walking. Infectious and autoimmune etiologies have been ruled out. Which medical condition is MOST likely?
A) Lyme disease
B) Guillain-Barre syndrome
C) Myasthenia gravis
D) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
D (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
A 28-year-old female marathon runner is referred to physical therapy after complaining of stress urinary incontinence during high-impact training activities. Which of the following is LEAST likely to contribute to the patient’s difficulty?
A) Pelvic floor muscle fatigue
B) Pelvic floor muscle weakness
C) Spontaneous bladder contraction
D) Pelvic floor incoordination
C (Spontaneous bladder contraction)
A physical therapist is measuring flexion and extension of the cervical spine with a goniometer. Where should the physical therapist place the axis of the goniometer?
A) Over C7
B) Over the external auditory meatus
C) Over the occiput
D) Perpendicular to the ceiling
B) Over the external auditory meatus
A patient is referred to physical therapy after being diagnosed with entrapment of the posterior interosseous nerve. Which finding would be MOST anticipated based on this diagnosis?
A) Weakness of the wrist extensors and finger extensors
B) Weakness of the wrist flexors and finger flexors
C) Weakness of the wrist flexors and ulnar deviators
D) Weakness of the finger abductors and thumb adductors
A (Weakness of the wrist extensors and finger extensors)
A patient is referred to physical therapy with a diagnosis of left bicipital tendonitis. During the examination, the therapist determines that the patient’s biceps tendon subluxes from the bicipital groove with certain resisted movements. Damage to which structure is MOST likely responsible?
A) Transverse humeral ligament
B) Glenohumeral joint capsule
C) Biceps tendon sheath
D) Coracohumeral ligament
A (Transverse humeral ligament)
A physical therapist treats a 47-year-old male diagnosed with post-polio syndrome. Which therapeutic outcome would be the MOST desirable based on the patient's medical diagnosis?
A) Increased endurance during activities of daily living
B) Decreased influence of associated reactions
C) Decreased lower extremity spasticity
D) Increased proximal joint stability
A (Increased endurance during activities of daily living)
A 23-year-old male is admitted to an acute care hospital after sustaining a grade 3 concussion during a motor vehicle accident. The patient is initially unable to recall any details of the accident, however, slowly begins to remember the event in the days following. Which type of amnesia is MOST consistent with this presentation?
A) Anterograde
B) Retrograde
C) Post-traumatic
D) Dissociative
B (Retrograde)
A patient has a resistive exercise test using a hand-held dynamometer. During the procedure, the patient employs a power grip to maximize force output. Which position of the wrist is utilized with this type of grip?
A) Ulnar deviation with slight extension
B) Radial deviation with slight extension
C) Ulnar deviation with slight flexion
D) Radial deviation with slight flexion
A (Ulnar deviation with slight extension)
A physical therapist is reviewing the medical record of a patient with cerebellar degeneration. The physician's note reports that the patient has an ataxic gait. Which of the following findings is MOST likely based on the presented information?
A) Normal balance responses
B) Inconsistent foot placement at heel strike
C) Walks with a narrow base of support
D) Uses an ankle-foot orthosis to assist with foot clearance
B (Inconsistent foot placement at heel strike)
A patient status post rotator cuff repair demonstrates loss of passive lateral rotation. Which of the following glenohumeral joint mobilizations would be MOST appropriate to assist in restoring lateral rotation?
A) Gliding of the humeral head posteriorly
B) Gliding of the humeral head anteriorly
C) Gliding of the humeral head inferiorly
D) Gliding of the humeral head superiorly
B (Gliding of the humeral head anteriorly)
A physical therapist treating a child diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy performs a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) intervention designed to facilitate active movement. Which of the following techniques would be BEST utilized for this purpose?
A) Rhythmic stabilization
B) Slow reversal
C) Rhythmic initiation
D) Hold-relax active movement
C (Rhythmic initiation)
Three weeks after delivering a 10-pound infant, a 28-year-old female reports stress urinary incontinence. A medical note indicates that neural tension produced during the lengthy labor resulted in temporary nerve damage. Which nerve was MOST likely affected?
A) Pudendal
B) Sciatic
C) Coccygeal
D) Pelvic splanchnic
A (Pudendal)
A physical therapist observes a patient completing a closed-chain activity emphasizing knee flexion. Which description of arthrokinematics is MOST consistent with this therapeutic activity?
A) The femoral condyles roll backward and glide forward on the tibia
B) The femoral condyles roll forward and glide backward on the tibia
C) The tibia rolls and glides posteriorly on the femoral condyles
D) The tibia rolls and glides anteriorly on the femoral condyles
A) The femoral condyles roll backward and glide forward on the tibia
A physical therapist examines an infant diagnosed with Erb’s palsy. Which of the following BEST describes the likely resting position of the affected distal upper extremity?
A) Forearm pronation, wrist flexion
B) Forearm pronation, wrist extension
C) Forearm supination, wrist flexion
D) Forearm supination, wrist extension
A (Forearm pronation, wrist flexion)
A 13-year-old patient diagnosed with mild left C-curve thoracic scoliosis is asked to perform the Adam's forward bend test. Which of the following observations would be anticipated?
A) Right convexity with left posterior rib hump
B) Left convexity with left posterior rib hump
C) Right convexity with right posterior rib hump
D) Left convexity with right posterior rib hump
B (Left convexity with left posterior rib hump)
A male patient with T10 paraplegia is being evaluated for home accessibility prior to discharge. He utilizes a standard manual wheelchair. Which of the following home dimensions would be the MOST problematic for the patient?
A) An outdoor ramp that is 36 inches wide
B) An outdoor ramp with an 8.3% grade
C) A bathroom sink with 29 inches of clearance under the sink
D) A doorway that is 28 inches wide
D (A doorway that is 28 inches wide)
A physical therapist completes a provocative test by passively moving a supine patient into a figure-four (FABER) position. The therapist exerts a downward force on the right knee while stabilizing the left ASIS. Assuming the patient reports posterior hip/gluteal pain during the test, what is the MOST likely hypothesis?
A) Trochanteric bursitis
B) Piriformis syndrome
C) Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
D) Osteoarthritis of the hip
C (Sacroiliac joint dysfunction)