Physical and Occupational Therapy Licensure Examination: Anatomy, Physiology, and Kinesiology

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, and clinical neuro-orthopedic concepts from the Physical and Occupational Therapy Licensure Examination review materials.

Commissural Fibers

Nerve fibers that cross the midline from one cerebral hemisphere to the other, serving as a pathway of communication between the two hemispheres (e.g., corpus callosum).

Residual Volume

The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximum expiratory effort.

Cerebral Aqueduct of Sylvius

A short tube traversing the midbrain that connects the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle.

Tibialis Posterior

The deepest muscle of the leg; acts as an inverter of the foot and plantar flexes the transverse tarsal joint.

Talus

The only tarsal bone that has no muscular attachments.

Pacinian Corpuscles

Mechanoreceptors that detect vibration, located in the skin and connective tissues surrounding bones and joints.

Apraxia

The loss of the ability to carry out correctly certain learned movements in response to stimuli that normally elicit those movements, despite intact sensory and motor capacity.

Association Fibers

Nerve fibers that connect neurons in one part of the cerebral cortex to another part within the same hemisphere.

Size Principle of Recruitment

The principle stating that the smallest motor neurons are recruited first during muscle contraction, and the largest motor neurons are recruited last.

Palmar Aponeurosis

A triangular fibrous sheet in the palm of the hand into which the Palmaris Longus inserts; protects underlying structures and remains present even when the Palmaris Longus is absent.

Lysosomes

Vesicular intracellular organelles containing enzymes that allow cells to digest and remove unwanted substances, debris, and bacteria.

Pes Equinus

A foot deformity in which the ankle is fixed in plantarflexion and the heel does not contact the ground during standing or ambulation.

Vital Capacity

The maximum volume of air that can be exhaled following a maximal inhalation, calculated as inspiratory reserve volume plus tidal volume plus expiratory reserve volume ($\text{IRV} + \text{TV} + \text{ERV}$).

Chopart Joint

A surgical level of foot amputation formed by the transverse tarsal articulation between the talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints.

Iliofemoral Ligament

The strongest ligament of the hip (Y-ligament) that limits hyperextension beyond the neutral trunk-limb alignment, enabling erect posture with minimal muscular effort.

Intrinsic Muscles of the Hand

Muscles of the digits that have both their proximal and distal attachments situated entirely within the hand.

Latissimus Dorsi

A broad, flat back muscle whose tendon wraps around the lower border of the teres major to insert into the floor of the bicipital groove; in closed-chain motion, its distal attachment on the iliac crest assists in pelvic elevation.

Transverse Abdominis

The innermost muscular layer of the anterolateral abdominal wall that encloses the abdominal cavity like a corset.

Ideomotor Apraxia

A motor disorder resulting from a lesion of the supramarginal gyrus of the dominant parietal lobe, causing an inability to execute motor acts on command despite intact motor capability and conceptual comprehension.

Third-Class Lever

The most prevalent lever system in the human body, wherein effort is applied between the fulcrum and the load ($\text{FEW}$); operates at a mechanical disadvantage while maximizing speed and range of motion.

Brown-Sequard Syndrome

A spinal cord hemisection characterized by ipsilateral spastic motor paralysis and loss of position/vibration sensation, coupled with contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation below the lesion level.

Klumpke's Palsy

A lower brachial plexus injury involving the $\text{C8-T1}$ spinal roots, typically resulting in paralysis of the intrinsic hand muscles.

Pisiform

A sesamoid carpal bone that articulates with only a single articular surface (the triquetrum).

Rhomboids

Muscles that retract the scapula, rotate the glenoid fossa downward, and anchor the scapula securely against the thoracic cage.

Accommodation

The physiological adjustment by which the curvature of the crystalline lens is increased to focus images of near objects onto the retina.

Synergist

A muscle that contracts to prevent or eliminate unwanted joint motions that would otherwise be produced by the prime mover.

Serratus Anterior

The powerful scapular protractor and upward rotator whose paralysis or long thoracic nerve injury produces a winged scapula.

Popliteus

The deep posterior knee muscle responsible for unlocking the knee during the initiation of flexion by medially rotating the tibia on the femur.

Wallerian Degeneration

The process by which the distal segment of a transected peripheral nerve fiber separates from its cell body, degenerates completely, and loses its myelin sheath.

Syringomyelia

A spinal disorder characterized by progressive cavitation around or near the central canal, producing a segmental loss of pain and temperature sense in both upper extremities with early sparing of touch.

Boutonniere Deformity

A finger deformity caused by an avulsion or rupture of the central slip of the extensor digitorum tendon proximal to its insertion at the base of the middle phalanx, causing PIP flexion and DIP hyperextension.

Loose-Packed Position

The joint position in which the capsule and ligaments are slack, articulating surfaces are incongruent, accessory movements (spin, roll, slide) are facilitated, and joint friction is reduced.

Horner's Syndrome

A neurological condition caused by interruption of cervical sympathetic pathways, clinically presenting with ptosis, miosis, anhidrosis, and facial vasodilatation on the affected side.

Calcaneonavicular Ligament

The spring ligament of the foot that supports the head of the talus; over-stretching or laxity reduces the medial longitudinal arch, resulting in flatfoot deformity.

Genu Varum

A bowlegged alignment of the lower extremity wherein the medial angle at the knee during unilateral weight-bearing is less than $170^\circ$.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

A condition (tic douloureux) of unknown etiology characterized by paroxysms of severe, sharp pain across one or more divisions of the fifth cranial nerve, typically provoked by touching a small trigger zone.

Translatory Motion

A form of linear movement where all parts of an object or body travel in the same direction with identical velocity.

Ligamentum Flavum

A series of $23$ intersegmental, yellow elastic ligaments connecting the laminae of adjacent vertebrae from $\text{C-2}$ down to the sacrum.

Annular Ligament

A strong fibrous band that forms a collar around the radial head, maintaining its position within the radial notch of the ulna and preventing distal dislocation during rotation.

Sustentaculum Tali

A medial bony projection on the calcaneus located immediately distal to the tip of the medial malleolus that supports the talus.

Atlanto-Axial Joint

A specialized craniovertebral pivot and facet articulation centered around the dens of the axis ($\text{C2}$) that accounts for approximately $50\%$ of total cervical spine rotation.

First-Class Lever

A lever mechanism in which the fulcrum is situated intermediate between the point of effort application and the resistance load ($\text{E-F-W}$), functioning for equilibrium, speed, or mechanical advantage.

Femoral Anteversion

An anterior orientation of the femoral neck relative to the femoral condylar plane exceeding the normal range of $13^\circ\text{ to }15^\circ$, commonly contributing to an in-toeing gait pattern.

Piriformis

A posterior hip muscle that functions as an external rotator when the hip is extended, but converts into an internal rotator and abductor when the hip is flexed.

Pes Anserinus

The conjoined tendinous expansion formed by the Sartorius, Gracilis, and Semitendinosus inserting onto the anteromedial proximal tibia in an inverted tripod formation to stabilize the pelvis and medial knee.

Metabolic Equivalent (MET)

A standardized unit of energy expenditure defined as an individual's resting oxygen consumption rate, averaging $3.5\,\text{mL}\,\text{O}_2\,\text{kg}^{-1}\,\text{min}^{-1}$.

Anatomical Snuff Box

A triangular depression on the posterolateral wrist bounded medially by the Extensor Pollicis Longus tendon and laterally by the Extensor Pollicis Brevis and Abductor Pollicis Longus tendons.

Saltatory Conduction

The mode of electrical impulse propagation along myelinated axons in which action potentials jump from one node of Ranvier to the next, conserving energy and accelerating transmission velocity by $5\text{ to }50$ times.

Primary Brain Vesicles

The three initial embryonic dilations that differentiate at the rostral neural tube: the prosencephalon, mesencephalon, and rhombencephalon.