CO MLO flashcards

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

Preponderance of the evidence

The civil burden of proof requiring the plaintiff to show the claim is more likely true than not, generally expressed as greater than 50 percent probability.

Res ipsa loquitur

A doctrine allowing an inference of negligence when the injury would not ordinarily occur without negligence and the instrumentality was under the defendant's exclusive control.

Statute of limitations

A statutory deadline within which a lawsuit must be filed; the discovery rule may delay accrual until the injured party knows or should know of the injury.

Comparative fault

A doctrine that reduces a plaintiff's recovery in proportion to the plaintiff's own share of fault, as compared with contributory negligence, which bars recovery entirely.

Wolff's law

Bone remodels in response to mechanical stress, adding mass along lines of loading and resorbing where stress is low; it explains adaptive changes after fracture healing.

Anterior cruciate ligament function

The ACL resists anterior tibial translation and internal rotation of the tibia; it is a primary stabilizer of the knee during cutting and pivoting activities.

Compartment syndrome threshold

Elevated intracompartmental pressure compromises capillary perfusion; a pressure within about 30 mmHg of diastolic pressure is a commonly cited surgical threshold.

Scapulohumeral rhythm

The coordinated ratio of glenohumeral to scapulothoracic motion during arm elevation, approximately 2:1, with the rotator cuff initiating abduction and the deltoid powering it.

MRI versus CT

MRI is superior for soft tissue, marrow edema, and occult fractures; CT is superior for cortical bone detail and complex fracture patterns in trauma.

Bone marrow edema

Increased marrow signal on fluid-sensitive MRI sequences; it is nonspecific and may reflect acute injury, stress reaction, infection, or tumor, requiring clinical correlation.

Stress fracture imaging

Stress fractures appear earliest on MRI as marrow edema; radiographs may later show periosteal reaction or a sclerotic line, with initial films often normal.

Electrodiagnostic studies

EMG and nerve conduction studies localize nerve injury and distinguish axonal from demyelinating lesions; timing after injury affects sensitivity and interpretation.

Eggshell plaintiff rule

A defendant takes the plaintiff as found; pre-existing vulnerability does not reduce liability for the full aggravation of a condition caused by the defendant's conduct.

Aggravation versus acceleration

Aggravation worsens an existing condition; acceleration hastens the onset of symptoms; precipitation triggers symptoms in a previously latent condition.

Substantial factor test

A causation standard asking whether the injury was a substantial factor in producing the harm, rather than the sole or primary cause of the harm.

Apportionment baseline

The documented pre-injury level of function, symptoms, and imaging findings used to separate disability attributable to the injury from pre-existing or unrelated conditions.

Impairment versus disability

Impairment is a loss of function at the organ level; disability is the effect of that impairment on activities of daily living and work capacity.

Whole-person impairment

A standardized rating that converts regional impairment of a body part into a whole-person percentage using the conversion factors specified in the applicable AMA Guides edition.

Maximum medical improvement

The point at which further recovery is not expected with reasonable medical probability; permanent impairment is rated at this point under the AMA Guides.

AMA Guides editions

The AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment provides standardized impairment ratings; editions differ, and the jurisdiction specifies which edition applies to a case.

Independent medical examination

A records review and examination by a physician who is not treating the patient, typically requested by an insurer or court to evaluate causation, impairment, or disability.

Daubert standard

A federal admissibility standard for expert testimony requiring that the testimony be based on sufficient facts, reliable methods, and proper application of those methods to the case.

Frye standard

A state admissibility standard for expert testimony requiring that the scientific technique be generally accepted in the relevant field, applied in some jurisdictions.

Expert bias disclosure

The examiner's ethical and legal obligation to disclose prior relationships with the parties and any financial or other interests that could affect the independence of the opinion.

Reasonable medical probability

The standard for stating a medical opinion, meaning the conclusion is more likely true than not, rather than merely possible or speculative.

Report structure

A medical-legal report typically states qualifications, records reviewed, examination findings, diagnosis, causation opinion, and impairment rating, with the basis for each conclusion.

Deposition testimony limits

A witness generally may be examined on opinions disclosed in the report; new opinions may require supplementation under the applicable rules.

Chronology analysis

A timeline review of records that identifies inconsistencies between the reported mechanism of injury and the documented clinical findings and course.

Dual role prohibition

The ethical concern that a treating physician serving as an expert may lack objectivity; the roles should be separated or the conflict disclosed and managed.

HIPAA disclosure

Privacy rules governing use and disclosure of protected health information; legal proceedings may require patient authorization or a court order.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The obligation to disclose financial or other relationships with retaining parties that could influence an examiner's opinion, and to manage or avoid the conflict.

Late entry documentation

An addition made to a medical record after the fact; it should be clearly identified as a late entry with the date and reason, and never altered retroactively.