Exam 4 NURS 3303 PATHO Final Test
Questions All Answered Correctly
2026 Updated.
1. Johnny is playing after school and falls from the jungle gym breaking his humerus. When EMS
arrives, bone is protruding through the skin.
a. What type of fracture is this? What are the major types of fractures? What is the difference in
an open versus closed, compound versus simple fracture? - Answer Open (compound)
Closed (complete), open (compound), incomplete, compression, transverse, comminuted, stress
fracture, avulsion, greenstick, and impacted
Closed (complete/ simple) is a fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
Open (compound) is a fracture of bone that protrudes to the outside of the body.
Compound
What is a pathologic fracture? - Answer Pathologic fracture is a break in the bone's integrity
caused by extreme stress is internally weakened by a pre-existing condition and fractures easily
without trauma or with only slight trauma
Describe the factors that enhance bone healing following a fracture? - Answer Age, damage
extent, clean wound with no infection, good circulation, no anemia, nonunion, malunion
What are the major complications of a fracture? - Answer Muscle spasms, infection,
ischemia, compartment syndrome, fat embolus, nerve damage, nonunion, malunion
Bone healing - what are the major steps in the healing process and why is each one essential
(see pg. 166, figure 9-5) - Answer Hematoma formation.
Fibrocartilaginous callus formation.
Bony callus formation.
Bone remodeling.
Hematoma
Granulation tissue
Procallus- gummy splint or bridge (fibrocartilage)
Bony callus- replaces procallus (calcification)
Remodeling
,Describe the function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. What happens if bone absorption exceeds
formation? What essential nutrients are required to maintain bone? Which hormone affects
calcium and how does this hormone impact bone? - Answer Osteoblasts build bone and
osteoclasts reabsorb bone into the bloodstream if bone absorption exceeds formation it can
lead to decreased bone density and osteoporosis with spontaneous fractures
Osteoporosis- a metabolic bone disorder, main sites for fractures is vertebrae and femoral neck
-s/s: back pain, kyphosis, scoliosis, spontaneous fractures, compression frectures
essential nutrients- calcium, vitamin D, protein, calcitonin as a hormone for bone formation
parathyroid hormone increases osteoclast activity to try to increase blood calcium
Differentiate the three types of arthritis - Answer Osteoarthritis- non-inflammatory disorder
due to cartilage "wear & tear", can be primary or secondary-s/s: pain increasing over time,
decreased movement, joint appears enlarged or hard and no systemic signs of inflammatory
Rheumatoid Arthritis- autoimmune disease resulting in chronic systemic inflammation affecting
joints, heart, kidneys, eyes, and arterial vessels
-s/s: remissions and exacerbations, deformity of fingers, systemic signs
Septic (infectious) Arthritis- a bacterial infection of the joint cavity, usually single joint
-s/s: red swollen and painful with reduced rom
Gouty Arthritis (Gout)- a recurrent inflammatory disease triggered by hyperuricemia, or
elevated uric acid in the blood, and synovial fluid
-s/s: hyperuricemia, tophus= large hard nodule consisting f rate crystal deposits in soft tissue or
bone
Johnny is out of surgery for repair of his fractured humerus using pins and application of a cast
to limit movement. He complains of pain in the area of surgical repair. What type of pain is this-
visceral or somatic? - Answer Somatic bc superficial
Describe the gate theory of pain control. Is there a mechanism to block pain impulses? If so,
how? - Answer Opioids
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically
they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include
suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use disorder, reversing opioid
overdose, and suppressing cough.
, What is referred and phantom pain? What differentiates acute from chronic pain? Which type
of pain does Johnny have? - Answer Acute- sudden, severe, short-term, vomiting, and
emotions
Chronic- extended time, your irritable, fatigued, depressed, affects daily activities, less pain
tolerance for additional acute pain
Phantom pain- following amputation
Referred pain- follows refer somewhere else
Describe neuropathic versus ischemic pain. - Answer neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion
or disease of the somatosensory nervous system
ischemic pain is a lack of blood flow to your body tissues often from being in one position for a
long period of time.
Mr. Smith has symptoms of stooped posture, flat facial expressions, and pill-rolling "tremors".
What condition does Mrs. Smith have? What is the pathophysiology of this condition?
What chemical neurotransmitter is deficient in this condition? - Answer Parkinson's disease-
degeneration of basal nuclei from deficient dopamine
dopamine
Myasthenia Gravis and muscular sclerosis (MS) - what are the predominant symptoms and
pathology of both conditions. - Answer Multiple sclerosis (MS) and myasthenia gravis (MG)
are both serious lifelong diseases. MS stems from faulty communication between your brain
and the nerves that control your body. MG causes serious muscle weakness that can cause
eyelids to drop and extend down to the rest of your face, arms, and legs.
MS and MG happen when your immune system turns against your own healthy organs, tissues,
and cells. That in turn disrupts the complex network of connections between your brain and
your nerves and muscles.
With MS, the damage is in the myelin sheath that covers and protects your nerve fibers. With
MG, your antibodies destroy the junction between your nerve and muscle cells.
Alzheimer's patient Jane continues to have progressive memory loss. What causes this? -
Answer as neurons are injured and die throughout the brain, connections between networks
of neurons may break down, and many brain regions begin to shrink.
Neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid tau plaques, acetylcholine deficit
What are common infections of the CNS? What are the most common symptoms? - Answer
Meningitis- viral or bacterial from influenza, pneumonia is worse
Questions All Answered Correctly
2026 Updated.
1. Johnny is playing after school and falls from the jungle gym breaking his humerus. When EMS
arrives, bone is protruding through the skin.
a. What type of fracture is this? What are the major types of fractures? What is the difference in
an open versus closed, compound versus simple fracture? - Answer Open (compound)
Closed (complete), open (compound), incomplete, compression, transverse, comminuted, stress
fracture, avulsion, greenstick, and impacted
Closed (complete/ simple) is a fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
Open (compound) is a fracture of bone that protrudes to the outside of the body.
Compound
What is a pathologic fracture? - Answer Pathologic fracture is a break in the bone's integrity
caused by extreme stress is internally weakened by a pre-existing condition and fractures easily
without trauma or with only slight trauma
Describe the factors that enhance bone healing following a fracture? - Answer Age, damage
extent, clean wound with no infection, good circulation, no anemia, nonunion, malunion
What are the major complications of a fracture? - Answer Muscle spasms, infection,
ischemia, compartment syndrome, fat embolus, nerve damage, nonunion, malunion
Bone healing - what are the major steps in the healing process and why is each one essential
(see pg. 166, figure 9-5) - Answer Hematoma formation.
Fibrocartilaginous callus formation.
Bony callus formation.
Bone remodeling.
Hematoma
Granulation tissue
Procallus- gummy splint or bridge (fibrocartilage)
Bony callus- replaces procallus (calcification)
Remodeling
,Describe the function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. What happens if bone absorption exceeds
formation? What essential nutrients are required to maintain bone? Which hormone affects
calcium and how does this hormone impact bone? - Answer Osteoblasts build bone and
osteoclasts reabsorb bone into the bloodstream if bone absorption exceeds formation it can
lead to decreased bone density and osteoporosis with spontaneous fractures
Osteoporosis- a metabolic bone disorder, main sites for fractures is vertebrae and femoral neck
-s/s: back pain, kyphosis, scoliosis, spontaneous fractures, compression frectures
essential nutrients- calcium, vitamin D, protein, calcitonin as a hormone for bone formation
parathyroid hormone increases osteoclast activity to try to increase blood calcium
Differentiate the three types of arthritis - Answer Osteoarthritis- non-inflammatory disorder
due to cartilage "wear & tear", can be primary or secondary-s/s: pain increasing over time,
decreased movement, joint appears enlarged or hard and no systemic signs of inflammatory
Rheumatoid Arthritis- autoimmune disease resulting in chronic systemic inflammation affecting
joints, heart, kidneys, eyes, and arterial vessels
-s/s: remissions and exacerbations, deformity of fingers, systemic signs
Septic (infectious) Arthritis- a bacterial infection of the joint cavity, usually single joint
-s/s: red swollen and painful with reduced rom
Gouty Arthritis (Gout)- a recurrent inflammatory disease triggered by hyperuricemia, or
elevated uric acid in the blood, and synovial fluid
-s/s: hyperuricemia, tophus= large hard nodule consisting f rate crystal deposits in soft tissue or
bone
Johnny is out of surgery for repair of his fractured humerus using pins and application of a cast
to limit movement. He complains of pain in the area of surgical repair. What type of pain is this-
visceral or somatic? - Answer Somatic bc superficial
Describe the gate theory of pain control. Is there a mechanism to block pain impulses? If so,
how? - Answer Opioids
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically
they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include
suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use disorder, reversing opioid
overdose, and suppressing cough.
, What is referred and phantom pain? What differentiates acute from chronic pain? Which type
of pain does Johnny have? - Answer Acute- sudden, severe, short-term, vomiting, and
emotions
Chronic- extended time, your irritable, fatigued, depressed, affects daily activities, less pain
tolerance for additional acute pain
Phantom pain- following amputation
Referred pain- follows refer somewhere else
Describe neuropathic versus ischemic pain. - Answer neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion
or disease of the somatosensory nervous system
ischemic pain is a lack of blood flow to your body tissues often from being in one position for a
long period of time.
Mr. Smith has symptoms of stooped posture, flat facial expressions, and pill-rolling "tremors".
What condition does Mrs. Smith have? What is the pathophysiology of this condition?
What chemical neurotransmitter is deficient in this condition? - Answer Parkinson's disease-
degeneration of basal nuclei from deficient dopamine
dopamine
Myasthenia Gravis and muscular sclerosis (MS) - what are the predominant symptoms and
pathology of both conditions. - Answer Multiple sclerosis (MS) and myasthenia gravis (MG)
are both serious lifelong diseases. MS stems from faulty communication between your brain
and the nerves that control your body. MG causes serious muscle weakness that can cause
eyelids to drop and extend down to the rest of your face, arms, and legs.
MS and MG happen when your immune system turns against your own healthy organs, tissues,
and cells. That in turn disrupts the complex network of connections between your brain and
your nerves and muscles.
With MS, the damage is in the myelin sheath that covers and protects your nerve fibers. With
MG, your antibodies destroy the junction between your nerve and muscle cells.
Alzheimer's patient Jane continues to have progressive memory loss. What causes this? -
Answer as neurons are injured and die throughout the brain, connections between networks
of neurons may break down, and many brain regions begin to shrink.
Neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid tau plaques, acetylcholine deficit
What are common infections of the CNS? What are the most common symptoms? - Answer
Meningitis- viral or bacterial from influenza, pneumonia is worse
