Orthopaedics List of Most Commons for Physician Assistant Students

Most Commons in Orthopaedics

• Compartment Syndrome
• Most commonly occurs in lower leg following tibia fractures or crash injuries
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury - most commonly injured knee ligament
• Osgood Schlatter’s Syndrome - most common in adolescents that are overactive (too many sports)
• Patellofemoral Pain: most commonly caused by anterior knee pain syndrome, chondromalacia patella, patellofemoral osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia - most common cause of chronic, widespread pain in the US

• Osteoarthritis - leading cause of long-term disability
• Most common in the knees and hands, especially after age 50
• Nodal and knee OA more common in women
• Hand and knee OA more common in African Americans
• Most common hip fractures: intertrochanteric and femoral neck
• Most common complication: avascular necrosis (AVN)
• Hip Dislocation - posterior dislocation most common
• Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) - chronic slipping most common (90%) occurring over several months
• Clavicle Fractures - most common osseous injury
• Most common location - middle third
• Scapula fracture - 90% have associated injuries
• Most common is a rib fracture
• Anterior shoulder dislocation - most common type
• Most commonly traumatic
• Most common rotator cuff injury - supraspinatus
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) - most commonly occurs in females 40-70 in non-dominant extremity; usually sedentary occupations
• Proximal Humerus Fracture
• Surgical neck fracture - most common 2-part according to Neer Classification
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome - most common in females age 20-50
• Most commonly affects the subclavian artery/vein and lower trunk of brachial plexus (C8/T1)
• Spondylolysis - most common structural spinal defect in athletes
• Scoliosis - most commonly occurs in females, age 9-13, mostly idiopathic (85%)
• Spinal Tumors - most commonly secondary (metastatic)
• PbKTL (lead kettle) = Prostate, Breast, Kidney, Thyroid, Lung
• Phalangeal Fracture - 5th toe most commonly affected
• Colles Fracture
• Most common fracture in adults 50+
• Most common fracture in upper extremities
• Dupuytren’s Contracture
• Most common in males 40-60
• Most commonly affects wring finger, pinky, and thumb

Other Helpful Hints

• ACL Injury
• Lachman Test
• Anterior Drawer Test
• Pivot Shift Test
• PCL Injury
• Posterior Sag (Godfrey’s Test) and Posterior Drawer Test both (+)
• Collateral Ligament Injury
• Unhappy triad: ACL, MCL, Medial Meniscus
• Collateral Ligament Exam: Valgus Stress Test (MCL) and Varus Stress Test (LCL)
• Varus vs. Valgus
• vaRus = lateRal
• vALgus = mediAL
• Meniscal Tears
• McMurray’s Test
• Apley’s Compression Test
• Thessaly Test
• Patellar Instability
• Patellar apprehension test
• Patellofemoral Pain
• PF Grind or Compression Test
• Rotator Cuff Tear or Inflammation
• Neer’s Test AKA Neer’s Impingement Test
• Hawkin’s Test AKA Hawkin’s Impingement Test
• Rotator Cuff Tear or Supraspinatus
• Empty Can Test
• Drop Arm Test
• Inferior Glenohumeral Instability or Laxity
• Sulcus Sign Test
• Anterior Glenohumeral Instability
• Apprehension Test AKA Apprehension Sign
• Achilles Tendon Rupture
• Thompson Test
• Other Special Tests
• Cross-body Adduction - AC Joint
• Jerk Test - Posterior Subluxation or Dislocation
• An axial force is applied to arm in 90 degrees of abduction and internal rotation
• The patient’s arm is then horizontally adducted while axial load is maintained