ABPTS OCS flashcards

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

Capsular pattern of hip

Cyriax pattern in which internal rotation is most limited, followed by flexion, abduction, and extension; suggests intra-articular pathology such as osteoarthritis.

Lachman test

Knee test at ~30° flexion assessing anterior tibial translation; most sensitive clinical test for ACL rupture, with high negative predictive value when intact.

Spurling test

Cervical compression with side-bending and extension; high specificity but low sensitivity for cervical radiculopathy, so a positive result strongly supports the diagnosis.

Straight leg raise

Passive hip flexion with knee extended reproducing radicular pain; ~91% sensitive but poorly specific for lumbar disc herniation; crossed SLR is highly specific.

Ottawa Ankle Rules

Radiograph indicated if malleolar pain plus bony tenderness at posterior malleolus edge/tip or inability to bear weight four steps both immediately and in clinic.

Beighton score

Nine-point hypermobility screen (e.g., thumb-to-forearm, knee hyperextension, trunk flexion); score ≥5 suggests hypermobility spectrum in adults.

Eccentric exercise for tendinopathy

Progressive lengthening load (typically 3–4 sets of 15 reps) that stimulates tendon remodeling; first-line for Achilles, patellar, and lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Dry needling precautions

Avoid with anticoagulation, local infection, lymphadenopathy, or severe needle phobia; upper thoracic/paraspinal needling carries pneumothorax risk requiring careful depth control.

Blood flow restriction parameters

Use 40–80% arterial occlusion pressure with low-load exercise; contraindicated in DVT history, sickle cell disease, and uncontrolled hypertension.

Continuous versus pulsed ultrasound

Continuous mode produces thermal (deep heat) effects; pulsed mode is non-thermal. Avoid over open physes, malignancy, and pregnant abdomen.

Cervical manipulation risk

Serious adverse events such as vertebral artery dissection are rare (estimated under 1 per 100,000 manipulations); screen for red flags before thrust techniques.

Total hip precautions

After posterior-approach THA, avoid hip flexion beyond 90°, adduction past midline, and internal rotation, typically for 6–12 weeks per surgeon protocol.

ACL return-to-sport criteria

Typically at least 9 months post-reconstruction with limb symmetry index ≥90% on hop tests, plus psychological readiness and quadriceps strength criteria.

Compartment syndrome signs

Pain out of proportion, pain with passive stretch, paresthesia, pallor, pulselessness, and paralysis; a surgical emergency requiring immediate referral.

Cauda equina red flags

Saddle anesthesia, new bowel or bladder dysfunction, and bilateral leg weakness or numbness; require emergent medical evaluation and imaging.

Rotator cuff repair progression

Sling typically 4–6 weeks; passive range early, active-assisted around 4–6 weeks, resisted strengthening at 8–12 weeks depending on tear size.

Fracture healing stages

Inflammatory (0–2 weeks), reparative/soft callus (2–6 weeks), hard callus (6–12 weeks), then remodeling over months to years; load progresses by stage.

Salter-Harris classification

Pediatric physeal fracture types I–V (I through physis, II above, III below, IV through both, V crush); higher grades carry greater growth disturbance risk.

Osgood-Schlatter disease

Traction apophysitis of the tibial tuberosity in adolescents; managed with load modification and activity adjustment, typically resolving at skeletal maturity.

Sarcopenia resistance training

Progressive resistance exercise at least two days weekly improves strength and function in older adults; protein intake and balance training complement the program.

Osteoporosis exercise precautions

With T-score ≤ −2.5 and fracture history, avoid loaded spinal flexion and high-impact activity; emphasize extension, weight-bearing, and balance training.

Down syndrome screening

Atlantoaxial instability should be screened with flexion-extension cervical radiographs before contact or collision sports due to ligamentous laxity.

Central sensitization signs

Hyperalgesia, allodynia, spreading or disproportionate pain, and widespread tenderness; managed with graded exposure, education, and paced activity rather than passive modalities.

Yellow flags

Psychosocial prognostic factors such as fear-avoidance, catastrophizing, depression, and work dissatisfaction that predict chronicity more strongly than imaging findings.

Pain Catastrophizing Scale

Validated 13-item self-report measuring rumination, magnification, and helplessness; high scores guide pain education and graded exposure interventions.

Graded motor imagery sequence

Laterality recognition, then imagined movement, then mirror therapy; used for complex regional pain syndrome and phantom limb pain.

Positive likelihood ratio

LR+ = sensitivity/(1 − specificity); values above 10 produce large shifts in post-test probability, while values near 1 are uninformative.

Number needed to treat

NNT = 1/absolute risk reduction; represents how many patients must be treated for one additional favorable outcome; smaller values indicate greater benefit.

MCID definition

Minimal clinically important difference: the smallest change in an outcome that patients perceive as beneficial; distinct from statistical significance.

GRADE certainty levels

Rates evidence as high, moderate, low, or very low based on risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias.

Informed consent elements

Requires patient capacity, disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives, voluntary decision-making, and documentation; refusal should be respected and recorded.

HIPAA minimum necessary

Disclose only the minimum protected health information needed; exceptions include serious threat to self or others, mandated reporting, and legal orders.