Board Exam PTA – Practice Questions (Physical Therapist Assistant Study Guide, Answer
Explanations & Exam Review)
A pt with transtibial amputation has recently been fitted with a patellar tendon bearing (PTB)
socket. Following gait training, the pt removes the prosthesis. If the prothesis is fitted correctly,
which area should the physical therapist assistant NOT expect to find skin redness?
Anterior tibia and tibial crest.
Patellar tendon and tibial tuberosity.
Medial tibial and fibular plateaus.
Medial and lateral distal ends of the residual limb. - ANS ✔✔anterior tibia and tibial crest
A5. A patient is recovering from a complete spinal cord injury, at the level of L2. What is the
expected outcome in this case?
A spastic or reflex bladder.
Some recovery of function.
Loss of motor function, pain, and temperature sensation below the level of lesion.
Greater loss of upper-extremity function than of lower-extremity function. - ANS ✔✔Some
recovery of function.
(spinal cord lesion below L1 is a cauda equina lesion and is a LMN injury to a peripheral nerve.
So some regeneration is possible.)
,A6. The physical therapist assistant (PTA) is scheduled to perform gait training with a patient
recently fitted with an ankle-foot orthosis but is running behind schedule. The PTA asks the
physical therapist assistant student, on day 2 of his first affiliation, to work with this patient
although the student has never performed tissue inspection of an ankle foot orthosis. Which of
the following procedures is the MOST appropriate for the patient's skin inspection?
Direct the student to perform.
Request the supervising physical therapist to perform.
Request another PTA working in the area to perform.
Send the patient to their room and request the nurse perform. - ANS ✔✔Request the
supervising PT to perform
-have practitioner perform the examination because he is familiar with the pt and knows
baseline conditions
A7. A patient has been diagnosed with acute synovitis of the temporomandibular joint. Which
intervention is MOST BENEFICIAL to help resolve early stage acute inflammation?
Application of an intraoral appliance and phonophoresis.
Joint mobilization and postural awareness.
Instruction to eat a soft-food diet and phonophoresis.
, Temporalis stretching and joint mobilization. - ANS ✔✔Instruction to eat a soft food diet and
phonopheresis
A8. Which behavior represents a fine motor skill that should be established by 9 months of age?
Picking up a raisin with a fine pincer grasp.
Building a tower of four blocks.
Holding a cup by the handle while drinking.
Transferring objects from one hand to the other. - ANS ✔✔Transferring objects from one hand
to the other
A9. A patient who is scheduled to undergo surgery for a chronic shoulder dislocation asks the
physical therapist assistant to explain the rehabilitation following the scheduled surgical
reconstructive procedure. Which is the BEST response?
Explain the surgical procedure in detail for the patient.
Suggest the patient ask the surgeon for information about the procedure and appropriate
rehabilitation.
Explain how patients typically respond to the surgery and outline the progression of exercises.
Refer the patient to a physical therapy clinical specialist who is an expert on shoulder
reconstructive rehabilitation. - ANS ✔✔Explain how patients typically respond to the surgery
and outline the progression of exercises.
Explanations & Exam Review)
A pt with transtibial amputation has recently been fitted with a patellar tendon bearing (PTB)
socket. Following gait training, the pt removes the prosthesis. If the prothesis is fitted correctly,
which area should the physical therapist assistant NOT expect to find skin redness?
Anterior tibia and tibial crest.
Patellar tendon and tibial tuberosity.
Medial tibial and fibular plateaus.
Medial and lateral distal ends of the residual limb. - ANS ✔✔anterior tibia and tibial crest
A5. A patient is recovering from a complete spinal cord injury, at the level of L2. What is the
expected outcome in this case?
A spastic or reflex bladder.
Some recovery of function.
Loss of motor function, pain, and temperature sensation below the level of lesion.
Greater loss of upper-extremity function than of lower-extremity function. - ANS ✔✔Some
recovery of function.
(spinal cord lesion below L1 is a cauda equina lesion and is a LMN injury to a peripheral nerve.
So some regeneration is possible.)
,A6. The physical therapist assistant (PTA) is scheduled to perform gait training with a patient
recently fitted with an ankle-foot orthosis but is running behind schedule. The PTA asks the
physical therapist assistant student, on day 2 of his first affiliation, to work with this patient
although the student has never performed tissue inspection of an ankle foot orthosis. Which of
the following procedures is the MOST appropriate for the patient's skin inspection?
Direct the student to perform.
Request the supervising physical therapist to perform.
Request another PTA working in the area to perform.
Send the patient to their room and request the nurse perform. - ANS ✔✔Request the
supervising PT to perform
-have practitioner perform the examination because he is familiar with the pt and knows
baseline conditions
A7. A patient has been diagnosed with acute synovitis of the temporomandibular joint. Which
intervention is MOST BENEFICIAL to help resolve early stage acute inflammation?
Application of an intraoral appliance and phonophoresis.
Joint mobilization and postural awareness.
Instruction to eat a soft-food diet and phonophoresis.
, Temporalis stretching and joint mobilization. - ANS ✔✔Instruction to eat a soft food diet and
phonopheresis
A8. Which behavior represents a fine motor skill that should be established by 9 months of age?
Picking up a raisin with a fine pincer grasp.
Building a tower of four blocks.
Holding a cup by the handle while drinking.
Transferring objects from one hand to the other. - ANS ✔✔Transferring objects from one hand
to the other
A9. A patient who is scheduled to undergo surgery for a chronic shoulder dislocation asks the
physical therapist assistant to explain the rehabilitation following the scheduled surgical
reconstructive procedure. Which is the BEST response?
Explain the surgical procedure in detail for the patient.
Suggest the patient ask the surgeon for information about the procedure and appropriate
rehabilitation.
Explain how patients typically respond to the surgery and outline the progression of exercises.
Refer the patient to a physical therapy clinical specialist who is an expert on shoulder
reconstructive rehabilitation. - ANS ✔✔Explain how patients typically respond to the surgery
and outline the progression of exercises.
