NCLEX-Style Questions: Musculoskeletal
System & Key Points
1. A 78-year-old woman reports hip pain and a recent fall. The nurse notes a
shortened, externally rotated right leg. What is the priority nursing action?
a) Encourage weight-bearing with a cane
b) Assess neurovascular status of the affected leg
c) Apply warm compresses to relieve pain
d) Begin passive ROM exercises
2. The nurse prepares to test a client’s muscle strength. The client moves their arm
against gravity but not against resistance. What grade is documented?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
3. Which client is at highest risk for osteoporosis?
a) 45-year-old man who smokes 1 pack/day
b) 55-year-old woman with early menopause, sedentary lifestyle
c) 35-year-old woman with lactose intolerance
d) 70-year-old man with osteoarthritis
4. The nurse performs the Phalen test. The client reports tingling and numbness
within 30 seconds. What condition is suspected?
a) Osteoarthritis
b) Carpal tunnel syndrome
c) Rheumatoid arthritis
d) Gout
5. Which teaching is most appropriate for a client at risk of osteoporosis?
a) “Switch to a high-protein, low-calcium diet.”
b) “Begin a daily swimming routine.”
c) “Take vitamin D supplements and do weight-bearing exercises.”
d) “Avoid all sun exposure to protect your bones.”
,6. A nurse is assessing a client’s wrist and notes a nontender, round, fluid-filled
cyst. The nurse correctly identifies this as which condition?
a) Lipoma
b) Ganglion cyst
c) Carpal tunnel syndrome
d) Rheumatoid nodule
7. The nurse is reviewing bone anatomy with a group of nursing students. Which
statement about spongy bone is correct?
a) Spongy bone is dense and forms the hard outer shell of bones.
b) Spongy bone contains numerous spaces and is located at the ends and
centers of bones.
c) Spongy bone is found only in the shafts of long bones and stores fat.
d) Spongy bone does not have any functional role in hematopoiesis.
8. During a client assessment, the nurse documents an injury to the pelvic bone. This
injury involves which part of the skeleton?
a) Axial skeleton
b) Appendicular skeleton
c) Both axial and appendicular
d) Neither axial nor appendicular
9. A client visits the clinic and reports that after playing softball yesterday, their knee feels
like it is “locking up.” The nurse should perform the McMurray test by asking the client
to:
a) Flex the knee and hip while in a supine position
b) Move from a standing to a squatting position
c) Raise their leg while in a supine position
d) Bend forward while trying to touch their toes
10. Circumduction is classified as which type of body movement?
a. Rotational
b. Angular
c. Special
d. Gliding
11. Circumduction is performed in the following sequence: flexion, abduction, extension,
adduction, or the reverse of the same sequence.
True or False
, 12. A nurse is performing a musculoskeletal assessment. Which technique should the nurse
use first?
a) Palpation
b) Inspection
c) Range of Motion
d) Special Maneuvers
13. During assessment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the nurse notes crepitus and
clicking with jaw movement. What does this finding suggest?
a) Normal alignment of TMJ
b) TMJ dysfunction
c) Muscle atrophy
d) Mandibular fracture
14. A patient is asked to place the hand behind the neck during a shoulder assessment.
Which movement is being evaluated?
a) Flexion
b) Abduction
c) Internal rotation
d) External rotation
15. The nurse performs the Phalen sign test and the patient reports numbness and tingling
in the hands. This finding suggests involvement of which structure?
a) Ulnar nerve
b) Median nerve
c) Radial nerve
d) Brachial plexus
16. The nurse performs the McMurray test during a knee assessment. Which condition is
the test designed to detect?
a) ACL tear
b) Meniscal tear
c) MCL injury
d) Patellar dislocation
System & Key Points
1. A 78-year-old woman reports hip pain and a recent fall. The nurse notes a
shortened, externally rotated right leg. What is the priority nursing action?
a) Encourage weight-bearing with a cane
b) Assess neurovascular status of the affected leg
c) Apply warm compresses to relieve pain
d) Begin passive ROM exercises
2. The nurse prepares to test a client’s muscle strength. The client moves their arm
against gravity but not against resistance. What grade is documented?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
3. Which client is at highest risk for osteoporosis?
a) 45-year-old man who smokes 1 pack/day
b) 55-year-old woman with early menopause, sedentary lifestyle
c) 35-year-old woman with lactose intolerance
d) 70-year-old man with osteoarthritis
4. The nurse performs the Phalen test. The client reports tingling and numbness
within 30 seconds. What condition is suspected?
a) Osteoarthritis
b) Carpal tunnel syndrome
c) Rheumatoid arthritis
d) Gout
5. Which teaching is most appropriate for a client at risk of osteoporosis?
a) “Switch to a high-protein, low-calcium diet.”
b) “Begin a daily swimming routine.”
c) “Take vitamin D supplements and do weight-bearing exercises.”
d) “Avoid all sun exposure to protect your bones.”
,6. A nurse is assessing a client’s wrist and notes a nontender, round, fluid-filled
cyst. The nurse correctly identifies this as which condition?
a) Lipoma
b) Ganglion cyst
c) Carpal tunnel syndrome
d) Rheumatoid nodule
7. The nurse is reviewing bone anatomy with a group of nursing students. Which
statement about spongy bone is correct?
a) Spongy bone is dense and forms the hard outer shell of bones.
b) Spongy bone contains numerous spaces and is located at the ends and
centers of bones.
c) Spongy bone is found only in the shafts of long bones and stores fat.
d) Spongy bone does not have any functional role in hematopoiesis.
8. During a client assessment, the nurse documents an injury to the pelvic bone. This
injury involves which part of the skeleton?
a) Axial skeleton
b) Appendicular skeleton
c) Both axial and appendicular
d) Neither axial nor appendicular
9. A client visits the clinic and reports that after playing softball yesterday, their knee feels
like it is “locking up.” The nurse should perform the McMurray test by asking the client
to:
a) Flex the knee and hip while in a supine position
b) Move from a standing to a squatting position
c) Raise their leg while in a supine position
d) Bend forward while trying to touch their toes
10. Circumduction is classified as which type of body movement?
a. Rotational
b. Angular
c. Special
d. Gliding
11. Circumduction is performed in the following sequence: flexion, abduction, extension,
adduction, or the reverse of the same sequence.
True or False
, 12. A nurse is performing a musculoskeletal assessment. Which technique should the nurse
use first?
a) Palpation
b) Inspection
c) Range of Motion
d) Special Maneuvers
13. During assessment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the nurse notes crepitus and
clicking with jaw movement. What does this finding suggest?
a) Normal alignment of TMJ
b) TMJ dysfunction
c) Muscle atrophy
d) Mandibular fracture
14. A patient is asked to place the hand behind the neck during a shoulder assessment.
Which movement is being evaluated?
a) Flexion
b) Abduction
c) Internal rotation
d) External rotation
15. The nurse performs the Phalen sign test and the patient reports numbness and tingling
in the hands. This finding suggests involvement of which structure?
a) Ulnar nerve
b) Median nerve
c) Radial nerve
d) Brachial plexus
16. The nurse performs the McMurray test during a knee assessment. Which condition is
the test designed to detect?
a) ACL tear
b) Meniscal tear
c) MCL injury
d) Patellar dislocation
