Question 1

A 14-year-old boy who has been diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease reports painful swelling just below the knee for the past 5 months. Which response by the nurse is appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A)   "If these symptoms persist, you may need arthroscopic surgery."
B)   "You are experiencing degeneration of your knee, which may not resolve."
C)   "Your disease is due to repeated stress on the patellar tendon. It is usually self-limited, and your symptoms should resolve with rest."
D)   "Increasing your activity and performing knee-strengthening exercises will help decrease the inflammation and maintain mobility in the knee." C

Question 2

A woman who has had rheumatoid arthritis for years is starting to notice that her fingers are drifting to the side. What is term commonly used for this condition?

Accepted Answer

A)   Radial drift
B)   Ulnar deviation
C)   Swan-neck deformity
D)   Dupuytren contracture B

Question 3

To palpate the temporomandibular joint, where should the nurse place his or her fingers?

Accepted Answer

A)   The depression inferior to the tragus of the ear
B)   The depression superior to the tragus of the ear
C)   The depression anterior to the tragus of the ear
D)   The depression posterior to the tragus of the ear C

Question 4

A teenage girl has arrived reporting pain in her left wrist. She was playing basketball when she fell and landed on her left hand. The nurse examines her hand. Which finding would lead the nurse to expect a fracture?

Accepted Answer

A)   Dull ache
B)   Deep pain in her wrist
C)   Sharp pain that increases with movement
D)   Dull throbbing pain that increases with rest

Question 5

A patient is being assessed for range-of-joint movement. The nurse asks him to move his arm in toward the center of his body. What is this movement called?

Accepted Answer

A)   Flexion
B)   Abduction
C)   Adduction
D)   Extension

Question 6

The nurse is examining a 6-month-old infant and places the infant's feet flat on the table and flexes his knees up. The nurse notes that the right knee is significantly lower than the left. Which of these statements is true of this finding?

Accepted Answer

A)   This finding is a positive Allis sign and suggests hip dislocation.
B)   The infant probably has a dislocated patella on the right knee.
C)   This finding is a negative Allis sign and normal for an infant of this age.
D)   The infant should return to the clinic in 2 weeks to see if his condition has changed.

Question 7

What is articulated with the tibia and fibula in the ankle joint?

Accepted Answer

A)   Talus
B)   Cuboid
C)   Calcaneus
D)   Cuneiform bones

Question 8

What are the functional units of the musculoskeletal system?

Accepted Answer

A)   Bones
B)   Joints
C)   Muscles
D)   Tendons

Question 9

A patient tells the nurse that, "All my life I've been called 'knock knees'." What is medical term for this condition?

Accepted Answer

A)   Genu varum
B)   Pes planus
C)   Genu valgum
D)   Metatarsus adductus

Question 10

What is the articulation of the mandible and the temporal bone called?

Accepted Answer

A)   Intervertebral foramen
B)   Condyle of the mandible
C)   Temporomandibular joint
D)   Zygomatic arch of the temporal bone

Question 11

A patient tells the nurse that she is having a hard time bringing her hand to her mouth when she eats or tries to brush her teeth. The nurse knows that for her to move her hand to her mouth, she must perform which movement?

Accepted Answer

A)   Flexion
B)   Abduction
C)   Adduction
D)   Extension

Question 12

An 80-year-old woman is visiting the clinic for a checkup. She states, "I can't walk as much as I used to." What should the nurse have the patient do to observe for motor dysfunction in her hip?

Accepted Answer

A)   Internally rotate her hip while she is sitting.
B)   Abduct her hip while she is lying on her back.
C)   Adduct her hip while she is lying on her back.
D)   Externally rotate her hip while she is standing.

Question 13

The nurse is checking the range of motion in a patient's knee and knows that the knee is capable of which movement(s)?

Accepted Answer

A)   Circumduction
B)   Flexion and extension
C)   Inversion and eversion
D)   Supination and pronation

Question 14

The nurse is assessing a 1-week-old infant and is testing his muscle strength. The nurse lifts the infant with hands under the axillae and notices that the infant starts to "slip" between the hands. What does the nurse suspect?

Accepted Answer

A)   A fractured clavicle
B)   Possible deformity of the spine
C)   Weakness of the shoulder muscles
D)   This is a normal finding for an infant at this age

Question 15

During an examination, the nurse asks a patient to bend forward from the waist and notices that the patient has lateral tilting. When his leg is raised straight up, the patient states pain going down his buttock into his leg. What does the nurse suspect?

Accepted Answer

A)   Scoliosis
B)   Meniscus tear
C)   Herniated nucleus pulposus
D)   Spasm of paravertebral muscles

Question 16

The nurse has completed the musculoskeletal examination of a patient's knee and has found a positive bulge sign. How does the nurse interpret this finding?

Accepted Answer

A)   Irregular bony margins
B)   Soft-tissue swelling in the joint
C)   Swelling from fluid in the epicondyle
D)   Swelling from fluid in the suprapatellar pouch

Question 17

A man who has had gout for several years comes to the clinic with a problem with his toe. On examination, the nurse notices the presence of hard, painless nodules over the great toe; one has burst open with a chalky discharge. What is this called?

Accepted Answer

A)   Tophi
B)   Callus
C)   Bunion
D)   Plantar wart

Question 18

Of the 33 vertebrae in the spinal column, which is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)   5 lumbar
B)   5 thoracic
C)   7 sacral
D)   12 cervical

Question 19

The nurse should use which test to check for large amounts of fluid around the patella?

Accepted Answer

A)   Tinel sign
B)   Phalen test
C)   McMurray test
D)   Ballottement

Question 20

The nurse suspects that a patient has carpal tunnel syndrome and wants to perform the Phalen test. What instructions should the nurse give the patient to perform this test?

Accepted Answer

A)   Dorsiflex the foot.
B)   Plantarflex the foot.
C)   Hold both hands back to back while flexing the wrists 90 degrees for 60 seconds.
D)   Hyperextend the wrists with the palmar surface of both hands touching, and wait for 60 seconds.

Exam 23: Musculoskeletal System