ABPMR Sports Medicine flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Lachman test

Knee test for ACL integrity performed at 20-30 degrees flexion; anterior tibial translation with a soft endpoint indicates ACL tear; it is the most sensitive ACL examination.

Pivot shift test

Most specific knee examination for ACL deficiency; flexion with internal rotation and valgus produces subluxation that reduces near extension, indicating rotational instability.

McMurray test

Meniscal provocation: flex knee, rotate tibia internally or externally, and extend; a palpable or audible click with joint-line pain suggests medial or lateral meniscus tear.

Thompson test

Achilles tendon rupture test: squeezing the calf with the patient prone should plantarflex the foot; absent plantarflexion indicates complete Achilles tendon rupture.

FADIR test

Hip impingement/labral test: flexion, adduction, and internal rotation reproduce anterior hip pain, suggesting femoroacetabular impingement or acetabular labral pathology.

Speed test

Biceps tendinopathy test: resisted shoulder flexion with elbow extended and forearm supinated reproduces anterior shoulder pain, suggesting bicipital groove pathology.

Empty can test

Supraspinatus test: arm elevated to 90 degrees in scapular plane, thumb down, resisted elevation; pain or weakness suggests supraspinatus tendinopathy or tear.

Athlete's heart

Physiologic remodeling in trained athletes: sinus bradycardia, resting ECG changes, and mild chamber enlargement; unlike cardiomyopathy, it normalizes with detraining and lacks pathologic features.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes; asymmetric LV hypertrophy, family history, and pathologic ECG changes warrant restriction and cardiology evaluation before competition.

Infectious mononucleosis

Epstein-Barr virus illness with fever, pharyngitis, lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly; athletes avoid contact for about four weeks and return when afebrile with normal spleen.

Sickle cell trait

Inherited hemoglobin variant that can cause exertional rhabdomyolysis and collapse; gradual acclimatization, hydration, and avoiding extreme exertion reduce risk in athletes.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

Airway narrowing during or after vigorous exercise causing cough, wheeze, or dyspnea; diagnosis by exercise challenge, treatment with warm-up and inhaled beta-2 agonist.

Fick equation

VO2 equals cardiac output times arteriovenous oxygen difference; it explains oxygen uptake as the product of heart rate, stroke volume, and peripheral oxygen extraction.

Maximal heart rate estimate

Common estimate is 220 minus age; Tanaka formula is 208 minus 0.7 times age; both have individual variability and direct testing is more accurate.

MET definition

One metabolic equivalent is resting oxygen consumption, about 3.5 mL O2 per kg per minute; exercise intensity is expressed as multiples of this resting value.

Borg RPE scale

Perceived exertion scale, typically 6 to 20 or 0 to 10, used to prescribe and monitor exercise intensity when heart rate or direct VO2 measurement is unavailable.

Chronotropic incompetence

Failure of heart rate to rise appropriately during exercise, often defined as less than 80 percent of predicted heart rate reserve; associated with exertion intolerance and cardiac risk.

AHA 14-element PPE

Standard preparticipation history and physical covering symptoms, family history, past medical problems, and physical exam including blood pressure, heart, lungs, abdomen, and musculoskeletal screening.

PPE timing

Preparticipation evaluation is best performed at least six weeks before the season, allowing time to evaluate positive findings and complete rehabilitation before competition.

Exertional syncope warning

Syncope during exercise, especially without prodrome, suggests a dangerous cardiac cause and requires cardiology evaluation before clearance for competitive sports.

Marfan stigmata

Tall stature, arm span greater than height, arachnodactyly, pectus deformity, joint hypermobility, and lens dislocation; screen for aortic root disease before sports participation.

ACL prevention program

Neuromuscular warm-up combining strengthening, plyometrics, balance, and technique training reduces ACL injury risk, especially in female athletes, when performed consistently before practice.

Concussion return-to-play steps

After symptom resolution, a stepwise protocol advances from light aerobic activity to full contact over about six stages, advancing every 24 hours if symptoms do not recur.

Bone stress injury grades

MRI grading ranges from periosteal edema to fracture line; higher-grade injuries require longer rest and sometimes surgery, with gradual return based on pain and imaging.

Tendinopathy loading

Progressive eccentric or heavy-slow-resistance exercise remodels tendon and reduces pain; relative rest alone is less effective than structured loading over weeks to months.

Physeal injury risk

In skeletally immature athletes the growth plate is mechanically weaker than the ligament; repetitive stress causes apophysitis and Salter-Harris injuries rather than adult ligament tears.

Female athlete triad

Interrelated low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density; screening for disordered eating and stress fractures is essential in female athletes.

Autonomic dysreflexia

In spinal cord injury above T6, noxious stimulus causes severe hypertension, bradycardia, flushing, and headache; identify and remove the trigger and treat hypertension urgently.

Exertional heat stroke

Core temperature above 40 degrees Celsius with central nervous system dysfunction; immediate cold-water immersion is critical, cool first and transport second.

Anaphylaxis treatment

Epinephrine 0.3 to 0.5 mg intramuscularly into the thigh, repeated every 5 to 15 minutes as needed, is first-line therapy for exercise-associated anaphylaxis.

Needle decompression

For tension pneumothorax, insert a large-bore needle into the second intercostal space midclavicular line or fourth to fifth space anterior axillary line before chest tube.

Anisotropy ultrasound

Artifact where tendon appears falsely hypoechoic when the sound beam is not perpendicular; adjust probe angle to align with fibers before diagnosing tendon abnormality.