What are Orthopedic Exams?
Orthopedic exams are physical examinations conducted by healthcare professionals, usually orthopedic surgeons or physicians, to evaluate the musculoskeletal system. These exams are designed to diagnose injuries, diseases, and conditions affecting the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.
What are the Key Components of Orthopedic Exams?
The key components of orthopedic exams include:
- Patient History:
- Medical History: Previous medical conditions, surgeries, and treatments.
- Symptom History: Description of current symptoms, including onset, duration, intensity, and triggers.
- Visual Inspection:
- Checking for deformities, swelling, bruising, or abnormal posture.
- Assessing the symmetry of the affected area compared to the unaffected side.
- Palpation:
- Feeling the affected area for tenderness, warmth, swelling, or deformities.
- Identifying specific points of pain.
- Range of Motion (ROM) Tests:
- Assessing the movement in joints to determine if there is a restriction or abnormal motion.
- Comparing passive (done by the examiner) and active (done by the patient) ROM.
- Strength Testing:
- Evaluating the strength of muscles around the affected area.
- Often graded on a scale from 0 (no movement) to 5 (normal strength).
- Neurological Examination:
- Checking for nerve function, including sensation, reflexes, and motor function.
- Assessing for signs of nerve compression or damage.
- Special Tests:
- Specific maneuvers designed to diagnose particular conditions (e.g., Lachman test for ACL injury, McMurray test for meniscal tears).
What are the Common Orthopedic Exams?
Common orthopedic exams include:
- Hip Exam:
- Checking range of motion, strength, and gait.
- Special tests include the FABER test for hip joint or sacroiliac pathology and the FADIR test for hip impingement or a labral tear.
- Spine Exam:
- Checking alignment, curvature, and mobility of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
- Special tests include the straight leg raise test for disc pathology or nerve root irritation and Hoffman’s sign for spinal cord myelopathy or compression.
- Shoulder Exam:
- Assessing for range of motion, rotator cuff strength, and instability.
- Special tests include Neer’s test for impingement and the apprehension test for instability.
- Elbow Exam:
- Evaluating the range of motion, tenderness, and strength.
- Special tests include Mill’s test for lateral epicondylitis (Tennis elbow) and Hook’s test for biceps tendon rupture.
- Knee Exam:
- Evaluating range of motion, stability, and strength.
- Special tests include the Lachman test for ACL injury and the McMurray test for meniscal tears.
- Wrist and Hand Exam:
- Assessing range of motion, grip strength, and deformities.
- Special tests include Tinel's test for carpal tunnel syndrome and Finkelstein's test for De Quervain's syndrome.
- Ankle and Foot Exam:
- Assessing range of motion, stability, and deformities.
- Special tests include the anterior drawer test for ankle instability and the Squeeze test or Thompson’s test for suspected Achilles tendon rupture.
Summary
Orthopedic exams are crucial for forming a diagnosis, developing a treatment plan, and monitoring the progress of orthopedic conditions. If you have specific conditions or symptoms you are concerned about, visit your orthopedist for more detailed information on the relevant orthopedic exams.
