NURS 5433 Module 6 MSK Review 2026 –
Musculoskeletal Disorders, Assessment
Skills & Clinical Practice Q&A
This document contains: Nursing assistant
❖ NURS 5433 Module 6 MSK
❖ Musculoskeletal Nursing Review
❖ MSK Assessment Guide
❖ Family Nurse Practitioner Prep
❖ Nursing Rationales
❖ RN Clinical Concepts
1
,1. What ligaments are involved in an inversion ankle sprain?: anterior talofibular or
calcaneofibular ligaments
2. What ligaments are involved in an eversion ankle sprain?: deltoid ligament
3. What is a grade 1 ankle sprain?: stretching of a ligament with small tears. No joint instability, mild
swelling, patient is able to walk
4. What is a grade 2 ankle sprain?: larger tears but not a complete tear. Moderate instability. Bruising,
painful ambulation, swelling
5. What is a grade 3 ankle sprain?: complete tear of ligament, severe pain, lots of swelling and
tenderness. Mechanical instability and decreased ROM. unable to ambulate. Snap is heard at time of injury
6. When do you refer out an ankle sprain?: Grade 3
7. What is the initial management of an ankle sprain?: PRICER
Protection (crutches, splint, brace)
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Rehabilitation
also analgesics such as NSAIDs
8. What is carpal tunnel syndrome?: compressive neuropathy in the median nerve
9. What are s/s of carpal tunnel syndrome?: paresthesia, weakness of the hands, aggravated by
flexing and extending the wrist. Dull and achy pain
10. What is the phalen test?: Used to test for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Ask the patient to hold both wrists
in a fully palmer flexed position with the dorsal surfaces pressed together for one minute. Numbness and paresthesia
in the distribution of the median nerve are suggestive of CTS.
11. What is Tinel's sign?: Tapping on the carpal tunnel causes parathesias (tingling) in the median nerve
distribution
12. What is the treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome?: NSAIDs, wrist splint, yoga, steroid
injections, surgery
13. What is DeQuervain's tenosynovitis?: progressive stenosing tenosynovitis that attects the 1st
dorsal compartment of the wrist. Degeneration and thickening of the tendon sheath
2
, 14. What causes DeQuervain's tenosynovitis?: Overuse of thumb extension/abduction.
15. How can you test for dequervains tenosynovitis?: Finkelstein test: pain increases on active
contraction against resistance on thumb extension
16. How do you manage dequervains tenosynovitis?: thumb spica splint for 3-4 weeks
modify activity
NSAIDs
steroid injection
if conservative treatment fails after 3 months=surgery
17. Does tennis elbow affect medial or lateral epicondyle?: lateral.
another name for tennis elbow is lateral epidocondylitis
18. What are the s/s of lateral epicondylitis: gradual onset of pain/burning on the outer part of
the elbow. They have a WEAK GRIP.
19. What is the treatment for lateral epicondylitis?: rest, NSAIDs, PT, steroid injections,
counterforce brace, stretching the wrist up and down.
if conservative treatment fails, either open or arthroscopic surgery
20. What part of the epicondyle is affected in golfer's elbow?: Medial epicondyle
21. Where is the pain located in goler's elbow?: boney bump on inside of elbow and radiates
to forearm.
22. What is the treatment of golfer's elbow?: rest, insets, ice, heat, PT
23. Define a fracture: break in the structural continuity of a bone
24. What is a complete fracture?: bone is broken into two or more pieces
25. What is an incomplete fracture?: the break extends only across part of the bone
26. What is a compound fracture?: fracture that has soft tissue or wound involvement
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3--has extensive disruption of soft tissue
27. What is a simple fracture?: fracture where the skin is intact over the broken bone
3
Musculoskeletal Disorders, Assessment
Skills & Clinical Practice Q&A
This document contains: Nursing assistant
❖ NURS 5433 Module 6 MSK
❖ Musculoskeletal Nursing Review
❖ MSK Assessment Guide
❖ Family Nurse Practitioner Prep
❖ Nursing Rationales
❖ RN Clinical Concepts
1
,1. What ligaments are involved in an inversion ankle sprain?: anterior talofibular or
calcaneofibular ligaments
2. What ligaments are involved in an eversion ankle sprain?: deltoid ligament
3. What is a grade 1 ankle sprain?: stretching of a ligament with small tears. No joint instability, mild
swelling, patient is able to walk
4. What is a grade 2 ankle sprain?: larger tears but not a complete tear. Moderate instability. Bruising,
painful ambulation, swelling
5. What is a grade 3 ankle sprain?: complete tear of ligament, severe pain, lots of swelling and
tenderness. Mechanical instability and decreased ROM. unable to ambulate. Snap is heard at time of injury
6. When do you refer out an ankle sprain?: Grade 3
7. What is the initial management of an ankle sprain?: PRICER
Protection (crutches, splint, brace)
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Rehabilitation
also analgesics such as NSAIDs
8. What is carpal tunnel syndrome?: compressive neuropathy in the median nerve
9. What are s/s of carpal tunnel syndrome?: paresthesia, weakness of the hands, aggravated by
flexing and extending the wrist. Dull and achy pain
10. What is the phalen test?: Used to test for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Ask the patient to hold both wrists
in a fully palmer flexed position with the dorsal surfaces pressed together for one minute. Numbness and paresthesia
in the distribution of the median nerve are suggestive of CTS.
11. What is Tinel's sign?: Tapping on the carpal tunnel causes parathesias (tingling) in the median nerve
distribution
12. What is the treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome?: NSAIDs, wrist splint, yoga, steroid
injections, surgery
13. What is DeQuervain's tenosynovitis?: progressive stenosing tenosynovitis that attects the 1st
dorsal compartment of the wrist. Degeneration and thickening of the tendon sheath
2
, 14. What causes DeQuervain's tenosynovitis?: Overuse of thumb extension/abduction.
15. How can you test for dequervains tenosynovitis?: Finkelstein test: pain increases on active
contraction against resistance on thumb extension
16. How do you manage dequervains tenosynovitis?: thumb spica splint for 3-4 weeks
modify activity
NSAIDs
steroid injection
if conservative treatment fails after 3 months=surgery
17. Does tennis elbow affect medial or lateral epicondyle?: lateral.
another name for tennis elbow is lateral epidocondylitis
18. What are the s/s of lateral epicondylitis: gradual onset of pain/burning on the outer part of
the elbow. They have a WEAK GRIP.
19. What is the treatment for lateral epicondylitis?: rest, NSAIDs, PT, steroid injections,
counterforce brace, stretching the wrist up and down.
if conservative treatment fails, either open or arthroscopic surgery
20. What part of the epicondyle is affected in golfer's elbow?: Medial epicondyle
21. Where is the pain located in goler's elbow?: boney bump on inside of elbow and radiates
to forearm.
22. What is the treatment of golfer's elbow?: rest, insets, ice, heat, PT
23. Define a fracture: break in the structural continuity of a bone
24. What is a complete fracture?: bone is broken into two or more pieces
25. What is an incomplete fracture?: the break extends only across part of the bone
26. What is a compound fracture?: fracture that has soft tissue or wound involvement
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3--has extensive disruption of soft tissue
27. What is a simple fracture?: fracture where the skin is intact over the broken bone
3
