NPTEFF PT Exam 3 Course Students

A 42 year old male has a complaint of low back pain over the last 8 months. He works at the sheriff’s office during the week and at his plumbing business on weekends. MRI findings reveal a lesion of the 4th lumbar nerve root. Which of the following signs and symptoms are MOST likely to be associated with this lesion?

A patient presents to the clinic with a report of pain in the hip joint. After evaluating the patient, the therapist shows the patient the following stretch. A positive test on which of the following would MOST likely warrant the therapist to have chosen this stretching technique?

During a neurological evaluation, a patient failed to recognize a key and pen through their sense of touch with their eyes closed. Which of the following is MOST accurate regarding the patient’s clinical presentation?

MRI findings of a patient’s brainstem reveal a tumor on the lateral pontine region, affecting the nucleus of the right trigeminal nerve. Which of the following signs and symptoms are MOST likely to be seen?

A 52 year old female teacher reports pain behind her right knee when she walks; the pain has been present for the last couple weeks. Past medical history includes bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA), baker’s cyst at the right knee, and chronic low back pain. During the examination, the patient points to the pain radiating to the right calf and is aggravated with ankle dorsiflexion. The patient’s right knee flexion range of motion is limited. There is decreased sensation to light touch on the entire plantar aspect of the right foot, along with decreased strength of the gastrocnemius, tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus. The patient’s clinical presentation is MOST correlated with which of the following?

A 54 year old patient is exercising on a treadmill in the cardiac rehabilitation unit. The physical therapist is monitoring the patient using an electrocardiogram (ECG). The therapist observes the ECG pattern as seen in the image. The patient’s heart rate (HR) is 65 bpm and the blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. Which of the following is MOST accurate given the patient scenario?

A 28-year-old runner and basketball player presents to an outpatient physical therapy clinic with a report of left anterior knee pain. The patient reports that the physician suspects jumper’s knee. Which of the following structures is MOST likely associated with jumper’s knee?

A 19-year-old athlete recovering from an ACL injury is completing single leg standing balance activities on a pillow. To test the patient’s support strategies, the clinician applies perturbations. Based on the video, which strategy is being demonstrated to help prevent a loss of balance?

A 54-year-old female was admitted to a hospital and underwent an uncomplicated total hip arthroplasty using an anterior approach. On post-op day two, the PT is educating the patient on precautions in order to prevent hip dislocations. Which of the following is a combined motion that the patient should avoid?

A 55-year-old female arrived at an outpatient PT clinic with complaints of dizziness with certain head movements. The patient described having brief vertigo symptoms that occurred with turning over in bed and tilting head back. The patient had a positive finding for right torsional up beating nystagmus during Dix-hall pike test. The physical therapist is developing several interventions in effort to relieve the symptoms. Which of the following interventions would MOST likely be appropriate to perform?

A 56-year-old male arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with chief complaints of low back pain. Other comorbidities include a history of CHF, HTN. During the initial evaluation, the patient provided a list of medications with one of them being Candesartan. The therapist is considering the implications of the effects of this medication on physical therapy. Which of the following side-effects is MOST likely to be associated with this medication?

A 50-year-old female patient with right sided cerebrovascular accident (CVA) was admitted to a skilled nursing facility to receive additional care. During the evaluation, the patient demonstrated some visual changes that were believed to be a result of the CVA. Which of the following would the therapist MOST likely expect?

A 33-year-old male visits an outpatient clinic 2.5 weeks post repair of flexor tendons of the hand. During this phase of rehabilitation, which exercise would MOST likely be performed?

A patient suffered head injury after a fall from the tree. Upon examination, he responded inconsistently to stimuli. His responses were the same regardless of the stimulus presented and were limited to gross body movements and vocalization. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate intervention for this patient?

A physical therapist was considering the use of Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) on a patient with Parkinson’s disease at stage IV of the Hoehn & Yahr. However, he decided against the use of that specific outcome measure due to the floor effect. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate description of floor effect?

A 70-year patient is brought to the clinic by her daughter with complaints of bumping into objects (such as the door, or a wall) while walking. She has had four falls in the last two months. Her sensations are intact and there are no complaints of dizziness or loss of hearing. The symptoms were gradual in onset. The resting position of the eyes was normal with no signs of involuntary eye movements, drooping of eyelids or double vision. Which of the following cranial nerves (CNs) is MOST likely impaired?

A physical therapist is assessing a 4-month-old infant that was referred for torticollis. Given the infant’s age, the presence of which of the following findings is LEAST expected?

A 50 year old male reports pain in the left groin and near the top of his left thigh. He states that he usually feels the pain even when he’s resting, and it gets worse when he performs any standing activity; he feels as if he needs to limp when walking. He does not recall any trauma associated with his pain. He reports heavy alcohol consumption and that he is trying to decrease the amount he drinks. When asked if he was taking any medication, he states that he was taking a systemic steroid previously for a while, but not currently. During the evaluation, the patient demonstrates a loss of motion in hip flexion, hip internal rotation, and hip abduction. The patient’s ankle dorsiflexion and peroneal strength are within normal limits (WNL) bilaterally. The achilles and patellar reflexes are graded as 2+ each bilaterally. The physical therapist needs to finish the evaluation, but the patient’s clinical presentation, so far, is MOST consistent with:

A young college athlete comes to the physical therapy outpatient clinic, and reports that during a practice match he twisted his ankle.  On examination, the patient demonstrates slight swelling around right lateral malleoli, and pain on all ankle movements.  Based on the assessment demonstrated in the video below, which of the following special tests is MOST likely the PT performing?

A physical therapist is reading the lab reports of a patient and notes that the findings are correlated with metabolic acidosis. Which of the following would be the LEAST likely correlated with a potential cause of metabolic acidosis?

A 57 year old male patient arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with a report of low back pain. During the evaluation, the patient also reports general muscle aches, pain, and soreness, along with increased frequency of dark-colored urine. The physical therapist reviewed the patient’s medical chart and noticed that the patient has hyperlipidemia. Which of the following medications is LEAST likely related to this patient’s clinical scenario?

A physical therapist is performing the one-leg standing (stork standing) lumbar extension test on a patient with low back pain. The patient experiences no pain with back extension while performing unilateral standing, but does experience pain with back extension combined with rotation while unilateral standing. The pain presentation is MOST likely correlated with:

A physical therapist would like to increase wrist joint extension range of motion (ROM). Which of the following joint mobilizations would be MOST correlated with increasing wrist joint extension ROM?

A 57 year old male patient arrived at an outpatient clinic with difficulty walking. During examination, the physical therapist assessed the patient’s R  knee extension strength and it was found to be 2-/5. The physical therapist would like to incorporate electromyographic biofeedback to help increase motor recruitment of the quadriceps muscles . Which of the following techniques is the most appropriate protocol to INITIALLY increase motor recruitment for his knee extensors?

A 59-year-old female patient arrived at an outpatient clinic with complaints of dicomfort in the wrist/hand. Upon examination, the physical therapist observed deformity of extension of MCP and distal interphalangeal with flexion of PIP. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this presentation?

A physical therapist currently performing gait analysis on a patient with a transfemoral prosthesis. The therapist notes that the patient has a significant terminal impact during the late swing. Which of the following would be the MOST likely cause of this presentation?

A 55-year-old male patient arrived at a hospital after having multiple falls at home. Upon evaluation, a PET scan revealed decreased levels of dopamine with degenerative changes at the substantia nigra. The patient is at risk of MOST likely developing which of the following types of incontinence?

A physical therapist is educating his intern student on the various types of sensory receptors that are located at the terminal portion of the afferent fiber. The therapist mentioned that this particular receptor located in the dermis highly discriminates touch as well as the movement of objects over the skin. Which of the following types of sensory receptors is MOST likely described by the therapist?

A physical therapist is treating a patient for gait training. The therapist would like to strengthen the functioning of muscles in the D1 extension pattern to improve his gait pattern. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate technique to achieve this with the patient in supine position?

A physical therapist would like to assess the properties of Adson’s test in diagnosing patients with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Out of the 125 patients who had TOS, 25 tested positive and the remaining tested negative. And out of the 40 patients who did not have TOS, 9 tested positive and rest tested negative. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate conclusion based on these findings?

A 22 year old male patient previously injured his knee while playing baseball. There was some swelling around the knee joint at the time, but an x-ray examination ruled out a fracture. The patient was in a knee extension brace for 3 weeks. He now reports difficulty while walking and sitting on a chair, secondary to the feeling that he can’t bend his knee as well as the uninjured knee. The physical therapist conducts the evaluation and would like to include joint mobilizations as an intervention. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate intervention to improve this range?

You are evaluating a patient that is 6 weeks post fracture of his medial epicondyle. He mentions that he experiences a tingling sensation in his hand, especially on the medial side, and points to the little finger and half of the ring finger. His medical report suspects ulnar nerve involvement. During the examination, which of the following is MOST likely to be displayed?

A patient’s arterial blood gas (ABG) values are as follows: pH: 7.30; PaCO2: 48 mm Hg; HCO3: 24 mEq/L. The patient displays cyanosis and is adopting a shallow, rapid breathing pattern. The patient’s caregiver reports that that patient has been increasingly confused lately. The patient’s ABG values and clinical signs and symptoms are MOST consistent with:

An acute care physical therapist is reading the medical chart of a patient. The medical chart displays that a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was completed and the scores were correlated with a moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Which of the following is MOST correlated to a moderate TBI according to the GCS?

A 42 year old patient reports neck and bilateral shoulder pain secondary to poor posture while at work. After performing the evaluation, the therapist decides to perform a hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) technique. Which of the following is MOST appropriate for a hold-relax technique?

A 60-year-old male patient with right-sided hemiplegia presented to a rehabilitation center for physical therapy. Upon the evaluation, the patient displayed slow/cautious behavior, memory impairments, difficulty displaying positive emotion, along with speech and language deficits. Which of the following is MOST likely to be displayed along with the mentioned clinical presentation?

A 40-year-old female patient with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) presents with an electric shock-like sensation that runs down the spine into the lower extremities secondary to neck flexion. It is suspected that there is posterior column damage. The patient’s clinical presentation may be described as:

The physical therapist receives a referral to evaluate and treat a 30-year-old patient with pain in bilateral SI joints. During palpation, the PT notices that both the anterior superior iliac spines are positioned anteriorly and inferiorly. Based on this finding what would be the position of the lumbar spine and what is the MOST appropriate intervention to address this issue?

A 21 y.o male has been undergoing regular physical therapy since his left ACL reconstruction surgery 10 days ago. At this point, the physical therapist is MOST LIKELY focusing on:

A physical therapist is educating a patient about the prognosis of Trisomy 21. Which of the following signs and symptoms are MOST LIKELY expected to be seen with this condition?

A physical therapist performs a sensory and motor examination on a 38-year-old female and determines that the patient has no sensory and motor function below the L2 level. The patient was admitted through the emergency room 14 days ago secondary to a motor vehicle accident. What is the MOST likely rationale for the patient’s current condition?

A 57-year-old male patient with congestive heart failure is utilizing the sci fit bike while working at METs of 2.9. He feels comfortable at rest but has increased fatigue, palpitations at times. There is a marked limitation of functional status. According to the New York Heart Association and functional classification, this patient is MOST likely classified as:

A physical therapist is treating a patient with COPD along with multiple comorbidities. The therapist has been monitoring the patient closely. Which of the following would NOT be considered criteria for terminating the exercise?

A physical therapist is treating a 61-year-old, obese male with a diagnosis of left middle cerebral artery infarct. Relevant past medical history is significant for the presence of DMII and hypertension. While educating the patient about various positioning strategies, which one is the MOST appropriate while sleeping in the right side-lying position?

A PT developed a new test to diagnose a rotator cuff tear. The test-retest correlation was found to be 0.92, the intrarater reliability was 0.91 and interrater reliability was at 0.66. Which of the following statements regarding this test is MOST APPROPRIATE?

A physical therapist is treating a patient with a burn injury on the dorsal aspect of his wrist and hand with a moderate level of edema. Which of the following positioning strategies will be MOST appropriate to avoid the formation of contractures?

The physical therapist is administering a six-minute walk test to a patient with a four-year history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which of the following statements regarding the test is MOST accurate?

A physical therapist is evaluating a patient with a report of tingling sensations on the dorsum of the foot. The therapist suspects common peroneal nerve involvement. Which of the following straight leg raise (SLR) variations will MOST likely to bias the common peroneal nerve?

A physical therapist is assessing the gait of a patient and observes an early heel rise of the right foot during midstance. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate intervention to address this gait deviation?

A physical therapist would like to perform postural drainage to a patient’s anterior basal segment of the left lower lobe. Which of the following can be considered the MOST appropriate technique to perform postural drainage on this patient?

A 59 year old male patient with a spinal cord injury at the level of T4 is being evaluated at the hospital. The patient’s medical record mentions that he presents with a hyperreflexic bladder (without dyssynergia between the detrusor and sphincter). Which of the following is LEAST likely to be associated with a hyperreflexic bladder?

A patient presents to a physical therapy clinic with back pain and increased thoracic kyphosis. The patient’s medical chart reveals a diagnosis of Scheuermann’s disease. Which of the following interventions would be MOST appropriate for this patient?

A physical therapist is auscultating and listening to various sounds of the heart. The echocardiogram report revealed left ventricular hypertrophy with EF 25-30%. Which of the following heart sounds would  MOST likely correlate to this scenario?

A 78 y.o male was admitted to a skilled nursing facility with a medical diagnosis of acute exacerbation of COPD. The medical record indicated the patient has  an FEV1 of 50% with FEV1/FVC<70%. During the examination, the patient appeared to have SOB during ambulation. According to the GOLD classification, the patient would MOST likely be classified as:

A physical therapist is currently treating a patient diagnosed with myelodysplasia at L3-L4. The patient should MOST likely benefit with which of the following orthosis?

A 52-year-old female was admitted to a local hospital after having a stroke. The physical therapist noticed the patient had difficulty initiating tasks, demonstrated significant processing delays, and got easily distracted during gait training. Based on these symptoms, the lesion is MOST likely located in which part of the central nervous system?

An intern is interested in learning the difference between venous insufficiency and arterial insufficiency. Which disorder MOST likely occurs with abnormal venous blood flow?

A physical therapist was evaluating a patient with persistent chest pain and occasional low back pain and cough. His cough had a brassy characteristic. Which of the following would the therapist MOST likely expect to be the cause of these findings?

A physical therapist is treating a patient with a diagnosis of right cerebrovascular accident. On evaluation, the tone in his biceps was graded at a 2 on the Modified Ashworth Scale. Which of the following is the MOST effective intervention to address this finding?

A physical therapist is training a patient with a left CVA for stair climbing.  The patient has 4/5 strength in his affected lower extremity and 3+/5 in his UE. Which of the following is the LEAST appropriate to maintain the safety of the patient while descending stairs?

A 49 year old female patient with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) was referred to physical therapy. While reviewing the patient’s medical records, the therapist comes across her recent radiographs. Which of the following radiographic findings would be LEAST likely found with this patient?

A patient is recovering from a stroke and has been non-ambulatory for the last 4 weeks. The patient is a heavy smoker and his past medical history contains hypertension (HTN) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD). During the evaluation, the physical therapist notices an ulcer on the patient’s heel and documents it as an unstageable ulcer. Which of the following BEST describes an unstageable pressure ulcer?

A patient with multiple sclerosis with a history of optic neuritis is present. When shining a light in the patient’s right eye, a reflex contraction is produced in both eyes. When shining a light in the patient’s left eye, dilation occurs in both pupils. Which of the following terms is BEST correlated to this patient presentation?

A female patient is referred to a physical therapy clinic with a diagnosis of chronic periarthritis of the shoulder. The patient mentions that she feels tired all the time, and has noticed recent weight loss, but with an increased appetite. Which of the following manifestations would MOST likely be displayed by the patient if hyperthyroidism was suspected?

A physical therapist is reading a patient’s medical chart that reports long standing structural idiopathic scoliosis. Which of the following is the physical therapist MOST likely going to notice during the patient evaluation?

 A 32-year-old female, postpartum, arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with a report of low back pain. The patient had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and was cleared by the physician. During the evaluation, the physical therapist noted that the patient had a diastasis recti with 3 cm separation. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be recommended to this patient?

A physical therapist is organizing a webinar to educate the members of the community on various strategies to prevent falls. The target audience is expected to be adults over 60 years of age. Which of the following is LEAST appropriate to be recommended to this population?

A physical therapist is educating a patient on the different layers of the pelvic floor. Which of the following structures is NOT a  part of the pelvic diaphragm?

A patient reports to physical therapy with a complaint of jaw pain. The physical therapist would like to measure the amount of mouth opening displayed by the patient. Referencing the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which of the following is MOST correlated with the typical (normal) amount of maximal mouth opening?

A physical therapist is examining a patient for possible nerve injury. The therapist positions the patient into hip flexion, knee extension, ankle dorsiflexion, and inversion to tension this particular nerve. Which of the following nerves is MOST likely being biased in this case?

A 52-year-old male has been a resident at a skilled nursing facility recovering from a left MCA for the past several weeks. During reassessment, the physical therapist notices the patient continuing to progress well with all skilled therapy intervention as the patient is able to incorporate difficult movement patterns through isolated joint movements. The therapist also observed that there is a significant decrease in limb synergies as they lose their dominance over motor acts. The therapist determines this motor recovery stage is MOST likely indicated as:

Which of the following is MOST likely considered to be a criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in a 52-year-old male?

Which of the following is MOST accurate in relation to the beginning portion of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) for lymphedema?

A physical therapist is treating a young female patient for sprained ankle. The therapist has tried all means of interventions, but the patient’s ankle does not seem to get better and therefore that patient has asked for release of her paperwork to consult an orthopedic. However, the PT talks to her coworker at lunch about this patient’s case to figure out a solution and holds the release of paperwork until then. Which of the following is the MOST likely violation that occurred in this scenario?

On auscultation, a therapist heard crepitus on the right middle lobe of a 52-year-old patient with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Relevant medical history includes a diagnosis of DMII, and hypertension. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate position to use for postural drainage?

A patient with a SCI, T5 level, arrived at an outpatient clinic for an individual treatment session. The physical therapist plans to incorporate challenging skills such as transitioning into prone on elbows, as weight bearing in prone on elbows may aid in strength and stability at the upper trunk, neck, and shoulders. Which of the following proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques would be MOST appropriate to utilize in this training session?

A 50 year old male patient reports to the physical therapy clinic after being diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis from his primary care provider. During the evaluation, it was noted that the patient presents with a capsular pattern of restriction. Which of the following activities may be MOST difficult for him to perform?

In reference isolation precautions, which of the following is LEAST likely to be recommended when seeing a patient that is present with Clostridium difficile?

A patient has an ankle-brachial index (ABI) of 0.70. Which of the following is MOST likely going to be present with this patient scenario?

A physical therapist is evaluating a patient with a long standing history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The patient’s hand presents with flexion of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints, along with extension of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints. The patient’s hand presentation is MOST correlated with:

A physical therapist performed an evaluation on a patient and would like to increase forearm supination range of motion. Which of the following is MOST correlated with increasing forearm supination motion?

A 62 year old male patient presents to a physical therapy clinic a few weeks post a right-sided cerebrovascular accident (CVA) with spasticity.The patient has a physician referral that mentions the use of electrical stimulation to reeducate the muscles supporting the glenohumeral joint. Which of the following parameters is LEAST likely to be utilized in this plan of care initially?

A physical therapist would like to utilize vapocoolant spray to various trigger points and their related tight muscles. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate technique when using vapocoolant spray?

The examiner was successfully able to reproduce a patient’s symptoms in the following position. A positive finding on which of the following tests is the MOST accurate way to document these findings?

Which of the following is the MOST appropriate capsular pattern for the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint?

A physical therapist is educating a patient on the proper technique of using crutches. The patient has progressed to moving with one crutch and opposite extremity together followed by the opposite crutch and the other extremity as this allows for increased upper extremity support and stability. Which of the following MOST likely describes this particular gait pattern?

A 57-year-old male recently sustained a fall at home. EMS arrived at the scene, assessed vitals, and
immediately transferred him to a nearby hospital. The patient has a past medical history of portal HTN,
enlarged spleen, liver cirrhosis. After testing, the patient’s blood work revealed a platelet count of
21,000. The physical therapist is reviewing his medical record and working on the plan of care. What
would be the MOST APPROPRIATE intervention for this patient?

A physical therapist would like to incorporate pelvic floor training on a female patient post pregnancy; the patient has been cleared to exercise by her physician. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be associated with pelvic floor training?

A physical therapist instructs the patient to perform lateral (side) flexion of the spine. Lateral (side) flexion of the spine correlates MOSTLY with which axis of the body?

A physical therapist is treating a 50-year-old male with mild cognitive impairments.. Patient is being treated for low back pain and the therapist decides to include cable anti-rotation with 10 pounds weights to improve core strength for this patient. While performing the exercise the patient loses balance and falls down on his buttock. The patient does not sustain any injury. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate step of the treating physical therapist?

On auscultation, a physical therapist finds that a patient with a five-year history of chronic bronchitis has positive findings of crepitus throughout the lung fields. He gets breathless easily with activities of daily living. The therapist is considering various interventions that can be used in this case. Which of the following is LEAST effective in clearing the secretions?

A 62 y.o male patient was admitted to a hospital after a suspected fall at home. The patient has a known history of falls, and also experiences fatigue during activity. The patient’s Berg Balance Scale score was 12/56. The physician conducted lab tests in hopes to rule out a possible diagnosis of cancer. Which of the following stages of cancer correlates MOST to carcinoma in situ (premalignant, preinvasive)?

A patient with congestive heart failure (CHF) has pitting edema bilaterally in the feet. The patient also reports that he must use at least three pillows to be able to sleep at night. Which of the following signs would be LEAST likely found on this patient’s chest x-ray?

A physical therapist is reading the lab reports on a 45 year old male patient with known liver and biliary tract disease. Which of the following laboratory tests would MOST likely be considered within normal limits?

A physical therapist was working with a patient who sustained a lesion in the left, dominant hemisphere. The therapist asked the patient to demonstrate how he puts a shirt on. The patient was unable to put his shirt on, despite his caregiver reporting to the therapist that he dresses himself every morning without help. Later that day, the therapist was walking down the hall and noticed the patient putting his shirt on without any help. Which of the following BEST describes the patient’s clinical presentation?

A 35 year old female with reports of tingling and weakness in the right upper extremity (UE) tested positive on the upper limb neurodynamic (tension) test (ULNT) with the following position: shoulder abduction to 90 degrees, elbow flexed, forearm supinated, and wrist extended with radial deviation. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be associated with the patient’s clinical presentation at the wrist and hand?

A physical therapist is working in an inpatient setting and is examining the lab report of a 50 year old male patient with a 5 year history of diabetes mellitus and a recent diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Which of the following lab values would MOST likely be of concern for the therapist when determining exercise?

A 28-year-old female has been attending outpatient physical therapy due to difficulty ambulating. The physical therapist is using patellar mobilizations to increase knee range of motion to restore a natural gait pattern. The physical therapist taught the patient self mobilization to be performed at home. Based on the video, which motion is the mobilization MOST LIKELY increasing?

An 8-month-old infant is being evaluated by a pediatric physical therapist. Which of the following milestones should the infant MOST likely already be able to perform?

An examiner is having the patient perform this particular test to detect possible shoulder impingement. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way to document this test?

A 45-year-old male patient arrives at an outpatient clinic with complaints of  pain in the right shoulder in the supraspinatus area since the last 4 weeks. The physical therapist considers the use of ultrasound to alleviate the pain.  Which of the following parameters are MOST APPROPRIATE for this patient?

A 45-year-old male patient with PMH of type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery bypass grafting, below knee amputation of left lower extremity is being trained by a physical therapist with a prosthesis. Currently, the patient is demonstrating an early left knee flexion during late stance. The therapist concludes that this deviation MOST likely is contributed from:

The image MOST likely depicts which type of skin disorder?  

A 35-year-old female patient, who is employed as a factory worker, presented at an outpatient clinic with bilateral ankle pain. Upon further examination, the therapist found that the pain increased during standing activities and on palpation of the talonavicular joint. Patient had also complained that he felt very stiff every morning for at least 3 hours. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of these findings?

A patient is in physical therapy with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The physical therapist would like to incorporate inspiratory muscle training during the treatment session. Which of the following is MOST consistent with the typical guidelines for inspiratory muscle training?

A physical therapy student is in her first clinical rotation. Her clinical instructor is teaching her about the scope of physical therapist practice. Which of the following is LEAST appropriate about the responsibilities of a physical therapist?

A PT is working with a patient and notices the following on the ECG monitor. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate step for the PT to take?

A 55 year old male arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with complaints of unsteadiness during gait. During the evaluation, the patient mentioned having an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Upon further examination, the physical therapist administered the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (CTSIB); the results indicated that the patient experienced instability while standing on a foam surface with eyes open, standing on a foam surface with eyes closed, and standing on a foam surface with a visual conflict dome. The therapist concluded that this patient MOST likely:

A 59-year old patient reports fatigue and dyspnea during routine ADLs. It was noted in the evaluation that he has grade 2 pitting edema in bilateral lower extremities that extend up to the pretibial region. There is presence of an S3 heart sound with auscultation and he was recently diagnosed with diastolic dysfunction. Which of the following findings are MOST likely associated with this patient’s condition?

Which of the following patients would MOST likely display a positive mcmurray test?

A 62 year old male patient with a long-standing history of alcohol abuse reports upper abdominal pain that radiates to his back. He reports that his pain increases with walking and even just laying down; his pain decreases when he sits and leans forward. He explains how he has been feeling nauseous lately, and experienced some episodes of vomiting over the last couple days. He reports a fever and a feeling of weakness. A Grey Turner’s sign and jaundice is noted on the patient. Which of the following is MOST likely expected to be present with the patient?

A physical therapist is developing a treatment plan for a 32 year old male patient post arthroscopic debridement of his left knee joint. The therapist decides to use electrical stimulation to improve the strength of the quadriceps muscle. Which of the following parameters is MOST correlated to muscle strengthening parameters for electrical stimulation?

A 42 year old male is admitted to the hospital with severe liver damage secondary to chronic alcoholism; he was also recently diagnosed with depression. Which of the following would MOST likely be correlated with the patient’s lab report?

A physical therapist is performing a neurological evaluation of a patient admitted to a skilled nursing facility. When the therapist stimulates the back of the patient’s throat on the left side, he notices an absence of response. Stimulation of the palate on the right side causes the elevation of soft palate with no deviation to either side. Which of the following cranial nerves is LEAST likely to be intact?

A physical therapist is treating a patient with a diagnosis of periarthritis of the right shoulder joint. However the therapist notices the patient’s eyeballs appear protruded as shown in the figure. Which of the following could be the MOST likely cause of this presentation?

A 45-year old female arrived at an outpatient clinic with chief complaints of bilateral hip pain. Upon further examination, the physical therapist noticed a significant anterior pelvic tilt. Which of the following muscles are MOST likely considered to be weak?

A physical therapist is reviewing the difference between sensitivity and specificity with the student physical therapist. Which of the following is MOST likely to be associated with sensitivity?

A 25-year-old female in her 1st trimester is visiting her OBGYN doctor for a follow-up. During this period, the patient is undergoing some cardiovascular changes which are considered normal. The doctor would MOST likely suspect the systolic and diastolic blood pressure to:

A 55-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain, unspecified, nausea, and vomiting. The physician diagnosed the patient with possible sepsis. Laboratory findings were as follows: pH 7.34, HCO3 21mEQ/L, PaCO2- 44 mm Hg. Which of the following acid-base disturbances aligns with this diagnosis?

A physical therapist is educating a patient on the functionality of a stress echo to compare left ventricular (LV) function and wall motion. With regards to the functional activity, which of the following is LEAST appropriate in terms of results from a stress echo?

A physical therapist is incorporating strength training with a patient who is in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be recommended for strength training in a cardiac rehabilitation program?

A physical therapy assistant is treating a patient with right knee pain for 4 weeks with a frequency of 2 visits per week. At the current visit the PTA notices that the patient has improved in her condition and has met the goals established by the physical therapist during initial evaluation. What would be the next step of the PTA towards the conclusion of the plan of care?

A physical therapist is assessing the strength of muscles in a patient with left ankle pain. The therapist asks the patient to dorsiflex and invert the foot as the therapist resists the motion. The patient was able to perform the full ROM against gravity, but was unable to hold the position. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way for the therapist to document this finding?

A 52 year old female arrived at an outpatient clinic with a complaint of right forearm/wrist discomfort. The patient mentions that she had undergone a mastectomy 1 year ago. During the examination, the physical therapist observes that the patient has increased swelling that does not change with elevation of the arm and is displaying initial signs of fibrotic changes. The physical therapist believes the patient is MOST correlated with which stage of lymphedema?

A 39-year old female is experiencing shoulder pain while lifting heavy objects, shoulder pain while sleeping on the involved shoulder, and difficulty in performing overhead activities. A positive finding on which of the following tests would MOST likely correlate to a supraspinatus injury?

A patient presents to an outpatient physical therapy clinic with a report of dizziness that began about 3 weeks ago. The patient denies any presence of headaches, vomiting, or weakness of one side of the body. The therapist is conducting the evaluation and is concerned that a referral back to the patient’s physician may be warranted. Which of the following positive findings is MOST likely related to a central vestibular pathology?

A patient suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of his spine; his medical chart reveals a diagnosis of Brown-Sequard syndrome. The patient will MOST likely display which of the following clinical presentations?

A 55 year old female reports severe pain around her right lower back. She describes her pain as burning and has the urge to itch in that region. Upon visual examination, a rash with what looks like blisters is present in a near dermatomal pattern. The patient’s clinical presentation is MOST correlated with:

A patient with late stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) presents to a physical therapy clinic with a report of frequent falls secondary to poor balance. Which of the following clinical presentations would be LEAST likely displayed for this patient?

A 52-year-old male patient arrives at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with bilateral sacroiliac (SI) joint pain that refers to the gluteal area, prolonged morning stiffness, and reports coughing is painful. During the evaluation, the patient reports tenderness over bilateral SI joints during palpation, passive movements are typical (normal), active side flexion and extension are full, slight limitation in active flexion, and a positive sacral stress test. The patient’s recent lab results were displayed in his medical chart, and they were unremarkable. Which of the following is MOST likely correlated with the patient’s clinical presentation?

A physical therapist performs a lateral glide of the femur on the acetabulum. Which of the following motions is the therapist MOST likely trying to improve range of motion (ROM)?

A physical therapist observes that a 27-year-old patient has developed thoracic kyphosis. The therapist shows some stretching maneuvers to the patient and provides end range pressure as the patient performs one of the stretches in the following position. Which of the following muscles is the therapist MOST likely addressing?

A physical therapist is educating a patient about the side effects of long term use of oral corticosteroids. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be included in the list?

A 39-year-old male arrived at an outpatient clinic with chief complaints swelling in the right lower leg. During examination, the therapist palpated the medial ankle as the patient reported medial ankle pain, paresthesias, pain in medial longitudinal arch pain, and medial heel. Which of the following diagnoses MOST likely aligns with this patient?

A 53-year-old male patient post right cerebrovascular accident is currently being treated at a skilled nursing facility with comorbidities including controlled HTN, atrial fibrillation, controlled type 2 DM. The physical therapist noticed during the initial evaluation that the patient has difficulty making a distinction between an armhole from the entire shirt. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way to document this presentation?

A physical therapist is auscultating the heart sounds in a 45-year-old female. He hears a sound and concludes that it is due to closure of the aortic and pulmonary valves. Which of the following heart sounds MOST likely would correlate to the therapist description?

A physical therapist is obtaining patient measurements for a proper fit in a standard wheelchair with footrests. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate measurement for the seat height?

A physical therapist has been treating a patient for four weeks for a diagnosis of left elbow tendinitis. After the latest reevaluation, the therapist feels that the patient will benefit from continued exercising, but doesn’t require to be supervised by a therapist on a regular basis. What is the MOST appropriate for the therapist to do?

A physical therapist is providing interventions to improve coordination and upper extremity mobility in a patient with a diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The therapist decides to teach the patient how to dribble a ball. Which of the following strategies are MOST appropriate to help the patient develop an understanding of the task?

A physical therapist is reviewing a patient’s EKG strip below. The therapist is MOST likely able to identify that the patient is experiencing a:

A physical therapist is treating a 79-year old female patient post total hip replacement surgery. The patient’s blood pressure (BP) drops suddenly upon standing. Her lips appear cracked and her mouth is dry. The presence of which of the following signs/symptoms is MOST likely correlated if the patient is suspected to be dehydrated?

A physical therapist would like to incorporate low rate (acupuncture-like) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in a therapy session. Which of the following parameters BEST correlates to low rate TENS?

A male patient presents to a physical therapy clinic with a report of weakness in his hand, leading to difficulty with activities such as opening jars, or trying to turn a doorknob. During the evaluation, the patient reports tingling and pain sensations while pointing to his 5th digit and medial half of his 4th digit. Further evaluation displays slight atrophy of his hypothenar eminence. The physical therapist suspects ulnar nerve involvement. Which of the following upper limb neurodynamic tension tests is MOST correlated to the ulnar nerve?

Presence of which of the following reflexes can be considered a normal finding in a 9 month old infant?

A patient has been in an inpatient rehabilitation unit for the last three weeks secondary to a motor vehicle accident. The physical therapist reviews the patient’s medical chart and notices that the patient currently has active Tuberculosis. Which of the following isolation precautions is LEAST beneficial in this patient scenario?

A 31 year old male patient arrived at the hospital with severe abdominal pain, weight loss, and changes in bladder and bowel habits. The patient’s lab report showed a platelet count of 20,000 cells/mm3. Which of the following is LEAST likely associated with this patient?

A 50 year old patient with a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) displays sudden, large-amplitude, violent, flailing motions of the arm and leg on the right side of the body. Given the patient’s presentation, which structure is MOST likely involved?

A 56-year-old male patient was admitted to a skilled nursing facility with a primary medical diagnosis of acute encephalopathy. The patient had reportedly fallen at home and was left on the floor for 12 hours until EMS arrived. Examination findings included the presence of ptosis along with deviation of the eyeball in the resting position. The examiner concluded that symptoms were MOST LIKELY arising from lesion to which of the following nerves?

A 55-year-old male patient arrived at a neuro clinic with a left hemisphere CVA that occurred 5 weeks ago. During an examination, the physical therapist instructed the patient to pick up an object. The physical therapist stepped away within view from the patient and noticed him not picking up the object. His wife mentioned that he does not pick up the objects from the floor at home even if he is the one to drop it. Which of the following disorders MOST LIKELY describes this scenario?

A 55-year old male was admitted to a local hospital for head trauma after a skiing accident. Upon examination, the patient seemed to be in a heightened state of activity as his behavior was erratic, and non-purposeful, incoherent, and confabulation were present. Also, his verbalization appeared to be inappropriate intermittently. This patient would MOST likely be classified to be at which stage per LOCF?

A 35-year-old male with SCI injury at level T5  admitted at the local hospital complaints of feeling restless. He is stressed, sweaty, and has cool skin. Upon examination, the physician noted an increase in the spasticity along with an increase of BP and bradycardia.  The patient MOST likely experienced which of the following?

A physical therapist would like to review lymphedema prevention strategies with a patient who is considered to be at risk for lymphedema development. Which of the following would be LEAST appropriate for reducing the risk of lymphedema prevention?

Which of the following is LEAST consistent with the general considerations for specifications and features for a wheelchair-accessible home?

A 41-year-old female arrived at the physical therapy session however reported she was not feeling well. She complained of flank pain and pain in the right groin. The patient also had a low-grade fever of 99.6⁰F. Based on the video, which sign is positive and what is it indicative of?

A physical therapist is treating a patient with a diagnosis of a right middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct that happened about a month ago. During the assessment, his affected upper extremity was graded at a 2 per the modified ashworth scale. Which of the following would be the MOST appropriate treatment option for managing this finding?

A physical therapist auscultates over various areas of a patient’s lung cavity and hears a high pitched, musical, whistling sound during expiration. Which of the following would MOST likely contribute to this abnormal sound?

A 25 year old male patient arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with reports of lateral elbow pain and clicking in the elbow joint. He mentioned having a history of chronic posterolateral elbow instability. He enjoys playing volleyball and tennis in his leisure time. The therapist suspects a lateral collateral ligament sprain. A positive finding on which of the following tests is MOST likely correlated with the physical therapist’s suspicion?

A physical therapist would like to improve pulmonary functioning of a patient who is labeled at  stage III on the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning (RLA LOCF) scale. Which of the following techniques may be LEAST appropriate for this patient?

A patient presents to a physical therapy clinic and displays the posture shown in the image. In reference to the patient’s presented posture, which of the following gait deviations is MOST likely to be seen in the early stance phase of the gait cycle?

A physical therapist is conducting an evaluation and asks the patient to point out which part of the body the therapist has touched. The patient is unable to localize the sensations properly on the left side of the body. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate terminology in reference to the patient’s clinical presentation?

A 43 year old male is admitted to the hospital after a motor vehicle accident. A portion of the evaluation findings are presented in the table below. Which of the following is MOST accurate based only on the table presented?

A 75-year-old male patient with Parkinson’s disease visits an outpatient physical therapy clinic for gait training. While walking, the physical therapist notices that the patient starts grimacing and twitching his lips, which later progresses to vigorous, extensive, and dynamic involuntary movements of the trunk and limbs. The patient is currently, and has been previously, taking levodopa (L-dopa) for the last 2 years. Which of the following may be the MOST likely association to the patient’s clinical presentation?

A 30 year old female patient presents with radiographic evidence of osteoporosis, morning stiffness of bilateral proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of the hands that lasts greater than 1 hour, slight limitation of joint mobility, along with minimal subchondral bone and cartilage destruction. The patient also has no visible joint deformities (including the hands). The patient’s lab work contained the presence of rheumatoid factor. She reports increased fatigue throughout her day. The patient’s clinical presentation is MOST correlated with:

A physical therapist is considering the use of an antibacterial agent for dressing a pressure wound with the goal of controlling an infection. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be used as an antibacterial?

A 56 y.o male arrived at an outpatient clinic with chief complaints of low back pain. Upon further examination, the therapist noted that the patient had a left-sided thoracic curvature during a postural assessment. Which of the following is LEAST appropriate with the patient presentation?

A 56-year-old male arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with chief complaints of low back pain with past medical history of hyperlipidemia, CHF, HTN. During evaluation, the patient provided a list of medications with one of them being Ramipril. Which of the following side effects MOST likely correlates with this drug?

A 37-year-old male was being treated for a burn that occurred proximal to the elbow joint. The area was tender to touch with no blisters but with the presence of an irritated dermis. That patient experienced slight edema with spontaneous healing. The burn wound specialist would MOST LIKELY classify this as:

A 64-year-old male arrived at an outpatient physical therapy clinic with chief complaints of gradual onset of low back pain mainly on the right side. Upon questioning further, the patient reported having increased pain in standing. His symptoms decreased during both sitting and while retrieving objects from the floor. The physical therapist performed a straight leg raise test which revealed a negative result. The therapist concluded that the patient MOST likely has which of the following diagnosis?

A patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is in physical therapy. The physical therapist is educating the student physical therapist on positioning indications for GERD; which of the following is MOST appropriate?

A 32-year-old female patient presents at the clinic with chief complaints of anorexia and unintentional weight loss over the past few months.  She also complains of gastrointestinal disturbances including nausea and vomiting. The physician suspects this patient to have an autoimmune disorder that causes destruction of the adrenal cortex. Which of the following signs and symptoms MOST likely support these findings?

A physical therapist was evaluating a patient who complained of vertigo with change in head position and rolling in bed. After a comprehensive examination, the therapist observes torsional upbeating nystagmus that lasted for less than 60 seconds. Which of the following treatment techniques will be most appropriate to treat this condition?

A patient suffered a head injury after falling while negotiating stairs. Upon examination, he responded inconsistently to stimuli. His responses were the same regardless of the stimulus presented, and were limited to gross body movements and physiological changes. Which of the following interventions would be LEAST effective?

A 15-year old male football player is referred to physical therapy by his primary care physician. His chief complaint is sub-acute thoracic back pain and reports that his back feels stiff even when he tries to relax. He displays cervical and lumbar hyper-lordosis with a rigid thoracic kyphosis that is painful with extension movements. The patient’s medical chart shows suspected Scheuermann’s disease with correlated x-rays. Which of the following is LEAST likely associated with this condition?

A 45 year old female patient has been referred to physical therapy post mastectomy. The physical therapist is conducting the evaluation and notes that her medical chart reveals stage 1 lymphedema. Which of the following clinical findings would be LEAST likely associated with stage 1 lymphedema?

A male patient presents to physical therapy. During the evaluation, he was able to write a sentence, but he experienced difficulty reading the sentence. When asked the name of the individual who accompanied him, he was unable to name them. His medical chart reveals a degree of memory loss, topographical disorientation, and homonymous hemianopsia.The patient’s clinical presentation is MOST likely correlated with a lesion in which of the following?

A PT works at an outpatient clinic and many of his patients are through direct access. Presence of which of the following findings during the initial evaluation is LEAST likely to indicate a need for medical referral?

A patient came to an outpatient physical therapy clinic post injury to the left superior gluteal nerve. Which of the following gait deviations is MOST likely to be seen during the evaluation of this patient?

A 35 year old female patient came to an outpatient physical therapy clinic with a chief complaint of swelling in the lower extremities. When reviewing the patient’s medical chart, stage I lipedema was noted. Which of the following is MOST correlated with stage I lipedema?

A 55 year old male patient was admitted to the hospital with a medical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patient presented with dorsal kyphosis, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, cyanosis, and digital clubbing. Which of the following clinical presentations are MOST likely associated with COPD?

A 35 year old male arrived at an outpatient clinic with chief complaints of R shoulder pain. Upon examination, the physical therapist is assessing myotomes of cervical flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation. Testing lateral flexion is MOST likely  used to assess which of the following spinal nerve roots?

A 35-year-old female made an appointment for chief complaints of muscle weakness. During the evaluation, the patient explained that she had difficulty keeping her eyelids up, changes in vision, new onset of difficulty swallowing, and speaking and an inability at times to use arms. Upon examination, the physician detected diplopia, limited facial expression, and significant weakness in bilateral upper extremities which was greater than the weakness in bilateral lower extremities. These symptoms are MOST likely to be associated with which of the following conditions?

A 52-year-old male with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease arrived at an outpatient clinic with complaints of low back pain. During the examination, the physical therapist observed him hesitating with task initiation, difficulty with sit to stands, reduced stride length, reduced speed of walking, and periods of lateral trunk lean. He is able to perform his activities independently and is employed as a bagger at a local grocery store. According to Hoehn-Yahr Classification of disability, the therapist would MOST like classify this patient as:

A patient referred for physical therapy has the following presentation. Which of the following comorbidities must the therapist MOST likely suspect?

The physical therapist would like to strengthen the serratus anterior during an exercise session. Which of the following exercises is MOST appropriate for the serratus anterior?

A 3-year-old patient is being evaluated by a physical therapist with a diagnosis of right sided congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). Which of the following range of motion (ROM) limitations of the head will MOST likely be displayed by the patient?

A 45 year old male patient with below knee amputation of the left lower extremity arrived at an outpatient clinic having complaints of increased discomfort while wearing the prosthesis. Temporary redness at which of the following areas can be considered a normal sign for this patient?

A therapist is performing foot evaluation of a 23-year-old patient who presents with chief complaints of pain in the forefoot since the last few months. The therapist notices that the patient has a forefoot valgus. Which of the following is the LEAST likely to be a compensatory motion associated with this presentation?

A 40 year old male is hiking at an altitude of 6,200 feet in preparation for a triathlon. Which of the following phenomena would be LEAST expected?

A 52-year old male has a history of episodic expiratory wheezing, tightness in his chest, and coughing that is typically worse at night. He takes long-acting bronchodilator drugs regularly as maintenance therapy. During acute exacerbations, he takes albuterol. During the acute exacerbations, he experiences dyspnea at rest, along with the use of his accessory respiration muscles for breathing.  Which of the following is MOST likely to be displayed on a pulmonary function test during an exacerbation?

A physical therapist is treating a male patient with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) who is in a heightened state of activity. He lacks short-term and long-term term recall, and his gross attention to his surroundings can be very brief. The patient’s overall behavior is bizarre and non-purposeful for the treatment session. Which of the following strategies would be MOST appropriate for the therapist to follow?

A physical therapist is teaching various massage techniques with the student physical therapist. The therapist is explaining a technique where firm pressure is applied to the muscles and soft tissues with the palms of the hand, and motion is directed from distal to proximal; the hands are lifted and brought back to the starting position, and the motion is to be repeated. Which of the following massage techniques is MOST likely being taught?