Musculoskeletal Trauma Flashcards
7 cards from real TNCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Musculoskeletal Trauma flashcards as text
A patient with a sternal fracture is at highest risk for which associated life-threatening injury?
Answer: Cardiac contusion
Sternal fractures are strongly associated with myocardial (cardiac) contusion due to the direct proximity of the heart to the sternum and the energy required to fracture it.
Which finding on the neurovascular assessment of an injured extremity requires the MOST urgent intervention?
Answer: Absent distal pulse with pallor and paralysis
Absent distal pulse with pallor and paralysis indicates arterial injury or severe ischemia, requiring immediate vascular surgery consultation to prevent limb loss.
A construction worker sustains a traumatic below-knee amputation. After tourniquet application and hemorrhage control, how should the amputated limb segment be preserved for potential reimplantation?
Answer: Wrap in moist saline gauze and place in a sealed bag on ice
The amputated part should be wrapped in moist saline gauze, placed in a sealed plastic bag, and kept on ice (not frozen) to preserve tissue viability for reimplantation.
Which parameter is the MOST reliable indicator of adequate resuscitation in a patient with hemorrhagic shock from multiple extremity fractures?
Answer: Urine output of 0.5 mL/kg/hr
Urine output of 0.5–1 mL/kg/hr indicates adequate end-organ perfusion and renal function, making it the most reliable ongoing indicator of resuscitation adequacy.
A patient with a humeral shaft fracture reports wrist drop and inability to extend the fingers. Which nerve is injured?
Answer: Radial nerve
The radial nerve spirals around the humerus in the spiral groove and is commonly injured with mid-shaft humeral fractures, causing wrist drop and finger extension weakness.
During the secondary survey, which assessment technique is used to evaluate pelvic ring stability in a trauma patient?
Answer: Gentle anterior-posterior compression of the iliac crests
Gentle anteroposterior pelvic compression (spring test) assesses pelvic ring stability; however, this should only be performed once to avoid dislodging clots.
A patient presents with knee pain after a dashboard injury in a motor vehicle collision. Radiographs are negative, but the patient has a posterior sag sign on examination. Which injury is most likely?
Answer: Posterior cruciate ligament tear
The posterior sag sign (tibia falling posteriorly when the hip and knee are flexed to 90°) is pathognomonic for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury, commonly from dashboard impacts.