Therapeutic Modalities and Application Flashcards
7 cards from real CCAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Therapeutic Modalities and Application flashcards as text
Which tissue type responds best to ultrasound frequencies in the 3 MHz range compared to 1 MHz?
Answer: Superficial tissues within 2 cm
3 MHz ultrasound is absorbed more rapidly and is most effective for superficial tissues within 1–2 cm depth.
When using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain control in dogs, which fiber type is targeted by high-frequency, low-intensity settings?
Answer: A-beta fibers (touch/pressure)
High-frequency TENS activates large-diameter A-beta fibers, which activate spinal gate control mechanisms to inhibit pain transmission.
A dog recovering from tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) shows limb disuse 8 weeks post-op. Which underwater treadmill parameter adjustment most directly offloads the surgical limb?
Answer: Raising water level to shoulder height
Higher water levels provide greater buoyancy, reducing weight-bearing load on the affected limb.
Phonophoresis uses therapeutic ultrasound to enhance delivery of topical agents. Which mechanism primarily facilitates transdermal drug penetration?
Answer: Acoustic streaming and cavitation disrupting lipid bilayers
Acoustic streaming and cavitation alter skin barrier permeability, enhancing topical drug absorption during phonophoresis.
In class IV laser therapy, the Arndt-Schulz law describes the dose-response relationship. What happens when photobiomodulation dose exceeds the therapeutic window?
Answer: No effect or inhibitory effects occur
Exceeding the therapeutic window can inhibit or reverse biostimulatory effects according to the Arndt-Schulz law.
Which contraindication is shared by both therapeutic ultrasound AND electrical stimulation modalities?
Answer: Application over active epiphyseal growth plates
Both modalities are contraindicated over open growth plates due to risk of disrupting normal bone development in immature animals.
A cat with degenerative joint disease is treated with cold laser. Which chromophore in mitochondria is the primary target of near-infrared wavelengths (800–1000 nm)?
Answer: Cytochrome c oxidase
Cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondrial respiratory chain is the primary photoacceptor for near-infrared laser wavelengths.