PCE Assessment and Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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?
- Meissner's corpuscles (Correct answer)
- Ruffini endings
- Pacinian corpuscles
- Free nerve endings
Correct answer: Meissner's corpuscles
Meissner's corpuscles mediate fine touch and two-point discrimination, particularly in glabrous skin of the fingertips.
Question 2: 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?
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Correct answer)
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Compartment syndrome
Correct answer: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
CRPS presents with burning pain, allodynia, autonomic changes (sweating, temperature), and trophic changes following injury or immobilization.
Question 3: During gait analysis, a patient demonstrates excessive lateral trunk lean toward the stance limb. Which muscle weakness most likely causes this compensatory pattern?
- Hip abductors (gluteus medius) (Correct answer)
- Hip flexors (iliopsoas)
- Knee extensors (quadriceps)
- Ankle plantarflexors (gastrocnemius)
Correct 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.
Question 4: A physiotherapist uses the Berg Balance Scale to assess a patient. A score of 45/56 indicates which level of fall risk?
- Medium fall risk (Correct answer)
- Low fall risk
- High fall risk
- No fall risk
Correct 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.
Question 5: When measuring active cervical rotation, which starting position is standard?
- Sitting upright with the spine neutral (Correct answer)
- Supine with the head supported
- Prone with the forehead on the table
- Standing with the feet shoulder-width apart
Correct 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.
Question 6: A 68-year-old patient scores 22 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). How should the physiotherapist interpret this score?
- Mild cognitive impairment (Correct answer)
- Normal cognition
- Moderate cognitive impairment
- Severe cognitive impairment
Correct 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.
Question 7: Which outcome measure is MOST appropriate for tracking functional recovery in a patient with a rotator cuff repair?
- Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)
- Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH)
- American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score (Correct answer)
- Visual Analog Scale (VAS) alone
Correct 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.
PCE Assessment and Evaluation 2
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?