DPT 540 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
Flexibility
- The ability of muscles and other soft tissues to relax/elongate/lenthen allowing a joint
or series of joints smoothly and easily through an unrestricted, pain-free range of motion
(ROM).
- Dynamic and Passive
Dynamic Flexibility
- Active mobility or active ROM (AROM)
Ability of muscle to contract through the ROM
Passive Flexibility
- Passive mobility or passive ROM (PROM)
- Extensibility of soft tissues that cross or surround a joint
- Prerequisite for (not ensure) dynamic flexibility
- Soft tissue includes: muscles, tendons, fascia, joint capsules, ligaments, nerves, blood
vessels, skin
Stretching
- Maneuvers designed to increase extensibility of soft tissues, can result in increased
flexibility
- Can increase flexibility
Range Of Motion (ROM)
,- Amount of motion available at a synovial joint
- Change in the angular relationship between 2 articulating bony segments
- Increased flexibility can increase this
- PROM, AROM & AAROM
Contracture
- Not a contraction
- Adaptive shortening of soft tissues that cross or surround a joint, resulting in significant
resistance to passive or active stretch, ROM limitations, and may limit ability to
participate in functional activities
Contracture Causes
- Impaired ability to actively move a joint through full range of motion
- Imbalance in strength of agonist/antagonist muscle groups
- Prolonged static positioning
Myostatic Contracture
- No specific muscle pathology
- Adaptive shortening of musculoskeletal unit with fewer sarcomere units in series (no
decrease in individual sarcomere length)
- Can be resolved in a relatively short time with: Stretching Exercises (e.g., muscle
tightness, upper/lower cross syndrome)
Pseudomyostatic Contracture
- Due to hypertonicity, muscle spasm, guarding, or pain
- e.g., cerebral vascular accident (CVA), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury
(TBI)
, - If neuromuscular inhibition techniques are applied, may be able to elongate shortened
muscle
Arthrogenic/Periarticular Contracture
- Due to intra-articular pathology and resulting in decreased arthrokinematic motion
(e.g., joint effusion or adhesions; osteophyte formation)
- Connective tissues or joint capsule lose mobility
- Treated with: joint mobilization or surgery
Fibrotic/Irreversible Contracture
- Loss of soft tissue extensibility
- Due to long-term immobilization or severe tissue trauma with inflammatory response
or due to neuromuscular disease resulting in degradation of muscle tissue
- Normal muscle and organized connective tissue are replaced with fibrotic adhesions,
scar tissue or heterotopic bone.
- When due to immobilization, may try prolonged stretch
Stretching Indications
1) ROM is limited because soft tissues have lost their extensibility
2) Muscle weakness and shortening of opposing tissue
3) Part of fitness program designed to prevent or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal
injuries
4) May be used prior to and after vigorous exercise
Stretching Contraidications
1) Bony block
2) After a recent fracture and bony union is incomplete
SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
Flexibility
- The ability of muscles and other soft tissues to relax/elongate/lenthen allowing a joint
or series of joints smoothly and easily through an unrestricted, pain-free range of motion
(ROM).
- Dynamic and Passive
Dynamic Flexibility
- Active mobility or active ROM (AROM)
Ability of muscle to contract through the ROM
Passive Flexibility
- Passive mobility or passive ROM (PROM)
- Extensibility of soft tissues that cross or surround a joint
- Prerequisite for (not ensure) dynamic flexibility
- Soft tissue includes: muscles, tendons, fascia, joint capsules, ligaments, nerves, blood
vessels, skin
Stretching
- Maneuvers designed to increase extensibility of soft tissues, can result in increased
flexibility
- Can increase flexibility
Range Of Motion (ROM)
,- Amount of motion available at a synovial joint
- Change in the angular relationship between 2 articulating bony segments
- Increased flexibility can increase this
- PROM, AROM & AAROM
Contracture
- Not a contraction
- Adaptive shortening of soft tissues that cross or surround a joint, resulting in significant
resistance to passive or active stretch, ROM limitations, and may limit ability to
participate in functional activities
Contracture Causes
- Impaired ability to actively move a joint through full range of motion
- Imbalance in strength of agonist/antagonist muscle groups
- Prolonged static positioning
Myostatic Contracture
- No specific muscle pathology
- Adaptive shortening of musculoskeletal unit with fewer sarcomere units in series (no
decrease in individual sarcomere length)
- Can be resolved in a relatively short time with: Stretching Exercises (e.g., muscle
tightness, upper/lower cross syndrome)
Pseudomyostatic Contracture
- Due to hypertonicity, muscle spasm, guarding, or pain
- e.g., cerebral vascular accident (CVA), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury
(TBI)
, - If neuromuscular inhibition techniques are applied, may be able to elongate shortened
muscle
Arthrogenic/Periarticular Contracture
- Due to intra-articular pathology and resulting in decreased arthrokinematic motion
(e.g., joint effusion or adhesions; osteophyte formation)
- Connective tissues or joint capsule lose mobility
- Treated with: joint mobilization or surgery
Fibrotic/Irreversible Contracture
- Loss of soft tissue extensibility
- Due to long-term immobilization or severe tissue trauma with inflammatory response
or due to neuromuscular disease resulting in degradation of muscle tissue
- Normal muscle and organized connective tissue are replaced with fibrotic adhesions,
scar tissue or heterotopic bone.
- When due to immobilization, may try prolonged stretch
Stretching Indications
1) ROM is limited because soft tissues have lost their extensibility
2) Muscle weakness and shortening of opposing tissue
3) Part of fitness program designed to prevent or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal
injuries
4) May be used prior to and after vigorous exercise
Stretching Contraidications
1) Bony block
2) After a recent fracture and bony union is incomplete
