Musculoskeletal System Physical assessment

• Mobility

  • Person's ability or inability to move (mobile or immobile)
  • Limited mobility can be from fine or gross motor skills
  • Various systems impact the ability to be mobile
• Less mobility can cause

  • Decreased muscle mass due to lack of mobility
  • Risk of skin breakdown
  • Lower or decreased peristalsis activity, can lead to constipation, UTIs, etc.
• Who is at risk?

  • Everyone is at risk regardless of age
  • Commonly older adults due to their risk of falls
  • Acute or chronic conditions
  • Pain
• Flexion vs Extension

  Flexion: bending a limb at a joint

  Extension: Straightening a limb at a joint

  
• Abduction vs Adduction

  Abduction: moving a limb away from the midline of the body

  Adduction: moving a limb towards the midline of the body

  
• Pronation vs Supination

  Pronation: turning the forearm so the palm face down

  Supination: turning the forearm so the palms face up

  
• Circumduction 


  Moving the arm in a circle around the shoulder

  
• Inversion vs Eversion

  Inversion: moving the sole of the foot inward at the ankle

  Eversion: moving the sole of the foot outward at the ankle

  
• Rotation 


  Moving the head around the central axis

  
• Protraction vs Retraction

  Protraction: moving the body part forward and parallel to the ground

  Retraction: moving the body part backward and parallel to the ground

  
• Elevation vs Depression

  Elevation: raising a body part

  Depression: lowering a body part

  
• Myalgia 


  Muscle cramping or aching (pain)

  Suggestive of fibromyalgia
• Dislocation 


  One ore more bones in a joint being out of position
• Subluxation 


  Partial dislocation of a joint
• Contracture 


  Shortening of a muscle leading to limited ROM of a joint
• Ankylosis


  Stiffness or fixation of a joint
• Polydactyly 


  Presence of extra fingers or toes
• Syndactyly


  Webbing between adjacent fingers or toes
• Strain

  • Injury to a muscle or tendon that connect muscle to bones
  • Common strains include back and hamstring
• Sprain

  • Stretching or tearing of ligaments
  • Injures the bands of tissues that connect 2 bones together
  • Most common site is the ankle