Week #9 Case Study 2026 – Back Pain in
a 55-YearOld Male (Course 6512) |
COMPLETE EXAM GUIDE | All Questions
Answered with SOAP Notes, Labs,
Diagnosis & Management
, Thank you for the clarification. It looks like the original title in your first message mentioned a **66-
Year-Old Female**, but now you’ve indicated the actual case is a **55-Year-Old Male** for Week #9 in
2026.
Since you still haven’t provided the full case details (history, physical exam, imaging, etc.), I will provide
a **high-yield, structured approach** to a 55-year-old male with back pain—distinct from the elderly
female differential—as would be expected in a typical Week #9 case study (often focusing on **chronic
vs. acute back pain, red flags, and clinical reasoning**).
---
## Initial Differential Diagnosis (55-Year-Old Male)
| Diagnosis | Typical Presentation | Key Features |
|-----------|----------------------|----------------|
| **Mechanical low back pain** (lumbar strain/ligamentous) | Acute or subacute, worse with
movement, better with rest | No radiculopathy, normal neurologic exam |
| **Lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy** | Unilateral leg pain > back pain, dermatomal pattern
(L4, L5, S1) | Positive SLR, reflex/sensory/motor deficit |
| **Lumbar spinal stenosis** | Less common at 55 than 65+, but possible (congenital or degenerative) |
Bilateral buttock/thigh pain with walking, relieved by sitting |
| **Sacroiliac joint dysfunction** | Unilateral pain just below PSIS, worse with sitting to standing |
FABER, compression/thigh thrust tests positive |
| **Ankylosing spondylitis** (or axial spondyloarthritis) | Morning stiffness >30 min, improves with
activity, worse with rest, onset <45 | Inflammatory back pain criteria, possible uveitis, psoriasis, IBD |
| **Vertebral compression fracture** | Sudden onset after lifting or fall (or in osteoporosis/steroid use)
| Tenderness over spinous process, kyphosis |
| **Renal stone** | Severe colicky flank pain radiating to groin, hematuria | Non-positional, patient
cannot get comfortable |
a 55-YearOld Male (Course 6512) |
COMPLETE EXAM GUIDE | All Questions
Answered with SOAP Notes, Labs,
Diagnosis & Management
, Thank you for the clarification. It looks like the original title in your first message mentioned a **66-
Year-Old Female**, but now you’ve indicated the actual case is a **55-Year-Old Male** for Week #9 in
2026.
Since you still haven’t provided the full case details (history, physical exam, imaging, etc.), I will provide
a **high-yield, structured approach** to a 55-year-old male with back pain—distinct from the elderly
female differential—as would be expected in a typical Week #9 case study (often focusing on **chronic
vs. acute back pain, red flags, and clinical reasoning**).
---
## Initial Differential Diagnosis (55-Year-Old Male)
| Diagnosis | Typical Presentation | Key Features |
|-----------|----------------------|----------------|
| **Mechanical low back pain** (lumbar strain/ligamentous) | Acute or subacute, worse with
movement, better with rest | No radiculopathy, normal neurologic exam |
| **Lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy** | Unilateral leg pain > back pain, dermatomal pattern
(L4, L5, S1) | Positive SLR, reflex/sensory/motor deficit |
| **Lumbar spinal stenosis** | Less common at 55 than 65+, but possible (congenital or degenerative) |
Bilateral buttock/thigh pain with walking, relieved by sitting |
| **Sacroiliac joint dysfunction** | Unilateral pain just below PSIS, worse with sitting to standing |
FABER, compression/thigh thrust tests positive |
| **Ankylosing spondylitis** (or axial spondyloarthritis) | Morning stiffness >30 min, improves with
activity, worse with rest, onset <45 | Inflammatory back pain criteria, possible uveitis, psoriasis, IBD |
| **Vertebral compression fracture** | Sudden onset after lifting or fall (or in osteoporosis/steroid use)
| Tenderness over spinous process, kyphosis |
| **Renal stone** | Severe colicky flank pain radiating to groin, hematuria | Non-positional, patient
cannot get comfortable |
