Patient Assessment & Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real CO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment & Evaluation flashcards as text
When performing a manual muscle test (MMT), a grade of 3/5 indicates the muscle can:
Answer: Move through full ROM against gravity but not against additional resistance
MMT grade 3/5 means the muscle can move the segment through its full range of motion against gravity but cannot overcome any additional applied resistance.
A pediatric patient is referred for scoliosis bracing with a Cobb angle of 28 degrees and is determined to be a Risser grade 1. This combination suggests:
Answer: Significant remaining growth potential; bracing is typically indicated
Risser grade 1 indicates early skeletal maturity with significant growth remaining, making this patient an ideal candidate for orthotic bracing to halt curve progression.
Which assessment finding most strongly suggests the need for a solid AFO rather than an articulated AFO?
Answer: Severe spasticity with clonus that destabilizes the ankle
Severe spasticity with clonus requires a solid AFO to block the uncontrolled movement and provide a stable, predictable base for ambulation.
During the gait assessment of a patient with a KAFO, the orthotist observes that the patient's knee buckles into flexion at midstance. The most likely cause is:
Answer: Insufficient quadriceps strength or knee extension assist in the orthosis
Knee buckling at midstance indicates inadequate quadriceps force or that the KAFO lacks sufficient knee extension control for the patient's needs.
An adult patient with multiple sclerosis reports her orthosis fits well in the morning but becomes painful by afternoon. The most likely explanation is:
Answer: Limb volume fluctuation due to heat sensitivity and fatigue
Patients with MS often experience Uhthoff's phenomenon and fatigue-related edema, causing limb volume to increase throughout the day.
When taking a lower extremity casting measurement, the patient's knee should be positioned at approximately 90 degrees of flexion to:
Answer: Isolate the soleus and allow neutral ankle positioning without gastrocnemius influence
With the knee at 90 degrees, the gastrocnemius is slackened, allowing the soleus to be assessed independently and the ankle to be positioned neutrally without gastrocnemius restriction.
When assessing a patient with rheumatoid arthritis for upper extremity orthotics, the term 'ulnar drift' refers to:
Answer: Ulnar deviation of the fingers at the metacarpophalangeal joints
Ulnar drift (ulnar deviation) is the characteristic lateral displacement of the fingers toward the ulnar side at the MCP joints seen in rheumatoid arthritis.