29.3 Screening for Orthopaedics
Table of Contents
Abstract:
Physical therapists are evolving into primary care practice with more states having direct access across the United States, emergency department physical therapy practice increasing, di-agnostic imaging expanding, and content regarding differential diagnosis increasing on the National Physical Therapy Examination. Understanding differential diagnosis is paramount to our success as a profession. This monograph discusses the principles of differential screening and capitalizes on the potential for our profession to move toward primary care practice. This monograph presents 3 patient cases that demonstrate the use of the principles of differential screening. The first case illustrates the use of VINDICATE in a 68-year-old female with lumbar flexion mobility and movement coordination deficits. The sec-ond case describes a 58-year-old male with bilateral shoulder pain. The third case details a 49-year-old female nurse present-ing with left shoulder pain she had developed about 6 months prior and had gradually gotten severe over the past 2 months.
Keywords:
Differential Diagnosis, Red flags, VINDICATE
References:
Abstract:
The upper extremity has many referral areas especially referring to the shoulder from the visceral organs and systemic disorders. As our profession moves into primary care practice, it is vital that physical therapists are well-versed on potential systemic conditions and orthopaedic conditions for screening the upper extremities. This monograph builds on information presented in the principles of differential screening monograph. The principles covered in that monograph have been applied to the upper extremity. Three patient cases are presented that highlight the content from the monographs. The first patient case was a 56-year-old female that had a direct fall onto her left lateral shoulder while skiing that mimicked the clinical presentation of a rotator cuff tear initially. The second patient case describes a 68-year-old male presenting with unrelenting intrascapular pain. The third case details a 13-year-old gymnast that complained of right wrist pain after falling onto her right wrist.
Keywords:
Upper extremity, Radiculopathy, Neuralgic Amyotrophy
References:
Abstract:
Depending on the patient population seen by physical therapists, lower extremity conditions may be more common than upper extremity conditions. Differential diagnosis of low-er extremity conditions is vital to our profession’s success. This monograph builds from the principles of differential screening to focus these principles to the lower extremity. Three patient cases are presented that highlight the content from the mono-graphs. The first patient case involves a 72-year-old retired male with a complaint of pain in his right midfoot. The second case describes a 28-year male police officer with a chief concern of right hip pain that was described as a deep ache that could occasionally become sharp and radiate down the thigh. The third patient case was a 68-year-old female with right knee pain and a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis with increasing pain over the past 3 years.
Keywords:
Osteitis pubis, Pubalgia, Differential Diagnosis