Patient Assessment & Clinical Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real ECC 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 & Clinical Evaluation flashcards as text
Which landmark is used to identify the approximate location of the lumbosacral (L6-S1) junction on external palpation of the horse?
Answer: The midpoint between the last palpable lumbar spinous process and the cranial edge of the tuber sacrale
The L6-S1 junction lies approximately at the midpoint between the last lumbar spinous process and the cranial tuber sacrale, identifiable by this external landmark relationship.
When performing tail pull assessment in horses, resistance from the tail being pulled laterally while the horse is walking tests the integrity of which neural pathway?
Answer: Sacral nerve roots and caudal spinal cord proprioceptive pathways
Tail pull during walking challenges the sacral nerve roots and spinal proprioceptive circuits; reduced resistance suggests sacral nerve root compression or caudal spinal cord dysfunction.
A chiropractor observes that a horse consistently stands with one hindlimb rested (repeatedly resting the same limb at standstill). This finding most clinically suggests:
Answer: Chronic pain or discomfort in the non-rested limb or ipsilateral pelvic region
Consistent unilateral hindlimb resting shifts weight off that limb to relieve discomfort, implicating the rested limb or ipsilateral pelvic structure as a source of chronic pain.
In equine chiropractic neurological screening, the patella reflex is elicited by tapping the middle patellar ligament. An exaggerated (hyperreflexic) response most likely indicates:
Answer: Upper motor neuron lesion cranial to the L4-L6 spinal segments
Hyperreflexia indicates loss of descending upper motor neuron inhibition, localizing the lesion cranial to the reflex arc's spinal segments (L4-L6 for the femoral nerve-mediated patellar reflex).
Which of the following is a key differentiation between a chiropractic subluxation and a complete articular luxation in equine patients?
Answer: A subluxation preserves some residual joint motion and is not visible on plain radiograph, while a luxation shows complete joint displacement
By definition, a subluxation is a partial positional fault with retained (though altered) joint movement and typically normal radiographic appearance, distinguishing it from a complete radiographically evident luxation.
During assessment of the withers region, pain elicited by bilateral compression of the spinous processes of T3-T8 is most consistent with:
Answer: Supraspinous bursitis, impinging spinous processes ('kissing spines'), or paraspinal muscle pathology
Bilateral spinous process compression pain in T3-T8 implicates local structures including the supraspinous ligament, bursae, or impinging (kissing) spinous processes, all common at the withers.
When documenting findings in an equine chiropractic SOAP note, which entry belongs under the 'Objective' section?
Answer: Motion palpation findings, postural asymmetries, and neurological reflex responses
The Objective section contains measurable, directly observed clinical findings such as palpation results, postural observations, and reflex testing outcomes.