Musculoskeletal Merriment
Nutcracker elves tapping walnuts feel a tingling in their thumbs and first two fingers if this nerve is compressed at the wrist.
What is the median nerve?
This nerve innervates the deltoid and teres minor, allowing Santa to lift his bag of toys overhead.
What is the axillary nerve?
While tip toeing through a Who-ville home, the Grinch slipped on an ornament and rolled his ankle. This ligament is the most common and likely injured structure.
What is the ATFL?
When pushing off for acceleration down the runway, Vixen felt a pop in his leg. To assess for Achilles tendon rupture, the PT elf should perform this test.
What is Thompson Test?
Santa’s belly is “like a bowl full of jelly” and is likely overproducing this hormone that regulates hunger and satiety.
What is leptin?
This muscle contracts to inflate the lungs while singing your favorite Christmas carols.
What is the diaphragm?
Reindeer need to have this area of the brain in prime condition in order to coordinate smooth movements for jumping over rooftops.
What is the cerebellum?
Mrs. Claus has been busy wrapping presents and holding babies at the mall for photos, causing pain to the 1st dorsal wrist compartment. Pain in this region could be indicative of this injury.
What is DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis?
What is the ECRB?
This bone helps support the tongue and larynx while you are swallowing delicious Christmas cookies.
This cranial nerve controls the muscles that pucker your lips for a kiss under the mistletoe.
What is the Facial Nerve?
A older elf is at the North Pole Urgent Care getting checked out. His primary complaint is hand/wrist pain. The Grind Test assesses this specific joint that is known as the first to become arthritic.
What is the thumb/1st CMC joint?
After Santa wrecked his sleigh, the ER staff performed the Sharp-Purser Test to assess for any cervical instability. If positive, this ligament could likely be ruptured.
What is the transverse ligament?
An elf who was running to get one last present placed in Santa’s sleigh, tripped and fell, causing an abrasion wound to his anterior knee. These leukocytes are considered the “first responders” to the site of injury.
What are neutrophils?
Santa plans to hit the gym after the holiday season, like most “New Year, New Me” folks. For his “back“ day, he would be correct to avoid training this muscle group, as it is not recognized as a true “back” muscle. Hint: It is innervated by the dorsal scapular nerve.
What are the rhomboids?
Feeling the texture of presents in a stocking primarily activates this lobe of the brain.
What is the parietal lobe?
Santa slipped off the roof and fell, fracturing this bone that is the most often broken tarsal bone.
What is the calcaneous?
A homeowner may mistake Santa for a robber. To avoid being shot, Santa would hold up his hands, similar to this test position that assesses for TOS.
What is the EAST Test?
Jack Frost has recently been diagnosed with RA. A common clinical sign within the synovial joint space is this layer of thickened synovium.
What is pannus?
These joints that are unique to the cervical spine are crucial for stability and motion, which is necessary to comfortably enjoy a drive through a park dressed up in Christmas lights. These joints also have an alias: the joints of Luschka.
What are the uncovertebral joints?
When you’re excited for Santa’s arrival, you may have trouble falling asleep. This part of the brainstem modulates wakefulness and attention.
What is the Reticular Activating System (RAS)?
While trying to change direction and push off a nearby chimney, Rudolph ruptured his ACL and also sustained this avulsion fracture off Gerdy’s tubercle.
What is a Segond fracture?
This special test shares the same name of a town in Alaska that is a 20 minute drive from the town of North Pole. This test assesses for patellar instability and patient apprehension.
What is the Fairbanks Test?
Cindy Lou Who is taking an exam on inflammation in PT school. This is her next question…
1. The ____ principle says that fluid movement across cell membranes depends on the balance between push and pull forces. Edema occurs when more fluid leaves a blood vessel than what comes back in.
Hint: The answer is the last name of someone in this room.
What is the Starling’(s) Principle?