Question 1

The nurse is planning to measure a patient's angles of joint flexion and will use which instrument?

Accepted Answer

A goniometer is used to measure the angles of joint flexion accurately.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Balottement of the patella is reliable when larger amounts of fluid are present.

Question 3

The nurse is assessing a 1-week-old infant and testing his muscle strength.The nurse lifts the infant with hands under the axillae and notes that the infant starts to "slip" between the hands.The nurse should:

Accepted Answer

A baby who starts to "slip" between your hands shows weakness of the shoulder muscles.

Question 4

The nurse is assessing the joints of a woman who has stated,"I have a long family history of arthritis,and my joints hurt." The nurse suspects that she has osteoarthritis.Which of the following are symptoms of osteoarthritis? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

In osteoarthritis,asymmetric joint involvement commonly affects hands,knees,hips,and lumbar and cervical segments of the spine.Affected joints have stiffness,swelling with hard bony protuberances,pain with motion,and limitation of motion.

Question 5

A man who has had gout for several years comes to the clinic with a "problem with my toe." On examination,the nurse notes the presence of hard,painless nodules over the great toe;one had burst open with a chalky discharge.This finding is known as:

Accepted Answer

Tophi are collections of sodium urate crystals resulting from chronic gout in and around the joint that cause extreme swelling and joint deformity.They appear as hard,painless nodules (tophi)over the metatarsophalangeal joint of the first toe and they sometimes burst with a chalky discharge.

Question 6

The nurse knows that another term for "knock knees" is:

Accepted Answer

Genu valgum is also known as "knock knees" and is present when there is more than 2.5 cm between the medial malleoli when the knees are together.

Question 7

The nurse is examining a 6-month-old baby and places the baby'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 the following is true of this finding?

Accepted Answer

Finding one knee significantly lower than the other is a positive Allis sign and suggests hip dislocation.

Question 8

When performing a musculoskeletal assessment,the nurse knows that the correct approach for the examination should be:

Accepted Answer

The musculoskeletal assessment should be done in an orderly approach,head to toe,proximal to distal.

Quiz 22: Musculoskeletal System