As the roughened joint surfaces of an osteoarthritic knee rub together, the patient may feel a grating sensation with movement, a finding called crepitus.
Missing Word
crepitus
Crepitus is the grating, crackling or popping that is felt or heard when damaged joint surfaces move against each other. In osteoarthritis it reflects cartilage loss and is assessed along with pain, stiffness, swelling and range of motion.
Category: Osteoarthritis
Question 2
Collapse of weakened vertebrae can produce kyphosis, an exaggerated forward curve of the upper spine that gives a hunched posture.
Missing Word
kyphosis
Kyphosis is excessive curvature of the upper spine. In osteoporosis it results from vertebral compression and is accompanied by height loss, back pain and sometimes shortness of breath.
Category: Osteoporosis
Question 3
On palpation, a joint inflamed by rheumatoid arthritis often feels soft and spongy rather than firm, a finding described as boggy.
Missing Word
boggy
A boggy joint feels soft and spongy because the synovial lining is inflamed and fluid has collected in the joint. The nurse palpates the joints, checks grip strength and range of motion, and asks about morning stiffness to track disease activity.
Category: Connective Tissue Disease
Question 4
When medication, weight loss and exercise no longer control pain from a severely worn hip or knee joint, surgery that replaces it with an artificial joint, called arthroplasty, may be offered.
Missing Word
arthroplasty
Arthroplasty removes the worn joint surfaces and substitutes prosthetic parts, commonly in the hip or knee. It is considered after lifestyle measures and drug therapy fail, and afterward nursing care focuses on pain control, mobility and preventing complications such as infection and blood clots.
Category: Osteoarthritis
Question 5
Obesity, earlier joint injury and joint overuse are risk factors for osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.
Missing Word
osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disorder in which cartilage wears down over time. Risk rises with age, obesity, joint injury, overuse, family history and a sedentary lifestyle.
Category: Osteoarthritis
Question 6
After a high-speed crash, a patient's x-ray shows the femur shattered into many small fragments, which is a comminuted fracture.
Missing Word
comminuted
A comminuted fracture splinters the bone into multiple fragments, usually from high-energy trauma such as a crash or a fall from a height. These fractures are often unstable and frequently need surgical repair, so the nurse watches closely for bleeding, compartment syndrome and fat embolism.
Category: Fracture Care
Question 7
A patient in a long-leg cast is taught setting exercises for the quadriceps, tightening the large muscles on the front of the thigh and holding the contraction without moving the knee.
Missing Word
quadriceps
The quadriceps are the muscle group on the front of the thigh that straighten the knee. Tightening them without moving the joint can be done inside a cast, which helps preserve strength for walking once the cast is removed.
Category: Fracture Care
Question 8
Inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart, which in systemic lupus erythematosus can cause substernal chest pain, is pericarditis.
Missing Word
pericarditis
Pericarditis is one of the organ effects of lupus, along with pleuritis and nephritis. New chest pain in a patient with lupus is reported promptly so the cause can be evaluated.
Category: Connective Tissue Disease
Question 9
The elastic bandage wrapped around a sprained ankle provides compression, gentle even pressure that limits swelling.
Missing Word
compression
Compression applies steady pressure to the injured area, which limits fluid buildup in the tissues. Along with rest, ice and elevation, it is part of first-line care for an acute sprain, and the wrap must not be so tight that it impairs circulation.
Category: Soft Tissue Injuries
Question 10
Duchenne muscular dystrophy results from a complete absence of dystrophin, a protein that keeps muscle fibers stable.
Missing Word
dystrophin
Dystrophin is a muscle protein. Its complete absence causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy, while reduced function causes the milder Becker form.
Category: Muscular Dystrophy
Question 11
In Duchenne muscular dystrophy the calves often look large and muscular, even though fat and connective tissue have replaced much of the muscle, a finding called pseudohypertrophy.
Missing Word
pseudohypertrophy
Pseudohypertrophy means false enlargement: the calves are bulky, but the tissue is largely fat and connective tissue, so the muscles are weak despite their size. Together with toe walking, frequent falls and trouble rising from the floor, it is an early sign that prompts evaluation for muscular dystrophy.
Category: Muscular Dystrophy
Question 12
A contracture is a shortening of muscle and tendon that fixes a joint in a bent position, which range-of-motion exercises help prevent.
Missing Word
contracture
A contracture limits joint movement because shortened tissues hold the joint in place. Regular range-of-motion exercise and positioning help prevent it in conditions such as muscular dystrophy.
Category: Muscular Dystrophy
Question 13
In systemic lupus erythematosus, antigen-antibody complexes lodge in small vessels and cause vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessel walls.
Missing Word
vasculitis
Vasculitis is inflammation of blood vessels. In SLE, immune complexes deposited in capillaries trigger it and contribute to damage in organs such as the kidneys and skin.
Category: Connective Tissue Disease
Question 14
As the trunk muscles weaken in muscular dystrophy, the spine can develop scoliosis, a sideways curvature that can further restrict breathing.
Missing Word
scoliosis
Scoliosis is a lateral curve of the spine. In muscular dystrophy it develops as the muscles that hold the trunk upright weaken, and it can compress the chest and worsen breathing problems, so posture, seating and respiratory status are monitored.
Category: Muscular Dystrophy
Question 15
A raised, scaly, coin-shaped skin lesion of lupus that can leave scars as it heals is called a discoid rash.
Missing Word
discoid
Discoid lesions are one of the skin findings of lupus, alongside the facial rash across the cheeks and nose. Because skin changes can signal a flare, the nurse assesses the skin regularly and reports new or worsening lesions.
Category: Connective Tissue Disease