Sports Med Final Exam Terms

Cranial nerves – assessment & tests

  • Assessing cranial nerves involves testing sensory, motor, and special senses for each of the 12 pairs

Battle’s sign

  • Bruising behind the ear and over the mastoid process that may indicate a skull fracture

KSHAA Return to Play concussion guidelines

  • Immediate removal from play, evaluation by a healthcare provider (MD or DO)

  • A written medical release before returning, following a strict 6-step gradual return-to-play protocol: Symptom-Limited Activity, Light Aerobic, Sport-Specific, Non-Contact Drills, Full-Contact Practice, and Return to Play

ACL or PCL anatomy/function/repair/rehab

  • ACL: Connects femur to tibia, preventing the tibia from sliding too far forward (anterior translation) and limiting rotation.

  • PCL: Located behind the ACL, connects femur to tibia, preventing the tibia from sliding too far backward (posterior translation).

  • Mechanism of Injury: Both need powerful forces; ACL tears often from twisting/pivoting, PCL from direct impact to a bent knee

  • Reconstruction often required for significant tears, using a graft (tendon)

Hamstring muscles anatomy and function

  • Function - extend the hip and flex the knee

Quad muscles anatomy and function

  • Function - knee extension and hip flexion

Knee Special Tests

  • McMurray Test - Meniscal tear

  • Apprehension Test - patella dislocation

  • Lachman's Test - ACL

  • Posterior Drawer test - PCL

  • Anterior Drawer test - ACL

  • Valgus Stress test - MCL

  • Varus Stress test - LCL

Key warning signs of ACL tears

  • hearing/feeling a pop in the knee, immediate pain, rapid swelling, significant instability (feeling like the knee will give out), and inability to bear weight or move the knee fully (especially straightening it)

Anterograde vs. retrograde amnesia

  • Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after a brain injury

  • Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall past memories from before the injury

Post-concussion syndrome

  • When concussion symptoms like headaches, dizziness, confusion, memory issues, sleep problems, and mood changes (anxiety, irritability) persist for weeks, months, or longer after a head injury, often stemming from disrupted brain cell function and blood flow, managed with therapies like physical/vestibular therapy, CBT, and gradual return to activity, rather than strict rest. Most people recover, but ongoing symptoms can significantly impact daily life

Knee injury assessment

  • Look for swelling, bruising, etc….. Palpitate the knee…. Range of Motion & Strength…. Special tests

IT Band location and symptoms

  • a sharp pain, ache, or burning sensation on the outside of the knee, often with tenderness, swelling, or a clicking/popping feeling and sometimes radiating to the hip

Sprains & grades

  • mild knee sprains - stretched ligament

  • moderate knee sprains - a portion of the ligament is torn

  • severe knee sprains - completely torn ligament

Head injury red flags

  • LOC, repeated vomiting, anisocoria (uneven pupils), cervical spine pain (neck pain), diplopia (double vision), worsening headache, weakness or tingling in the arms or legs (nerve pain), increasingly restless or agitated, seizure or convulsion, deteriorating conscious state

Patellar subluxation

  • when your kneecap (patella) partially slips out of its groove then pops back in

Nystagmus

  • involuntary, rapid eye movements (side-to-side, up/down, or circular)

Tooth Avulsion

  • when a tooth is completely knocked out of its socket; place in milk

Second Impact Syndrome

  • a second concussion received before the signs and symptoms of the first concussion have been resolved; a life-threatening emergency

Concussion definition, recognition, treatment

  • brain trauma caused by a blow to the head. A direct blow to the head that causes transient cognitive impairment.

All soft tissue structures of knee, anatomy, function

Shock symptoms & treatment

  • Shock involves vital organs not getting enough blood, causing cool/clammy skin, rapid pulse/breathing, weakness, dizziness, confusion, nausea, and pale/blueish skin. Treatment requires immediate 911/emergency help, lying the person down, elevating legs (unless injury suspected), keeping them warm, loosening tight clothing, and treating the underlying cause (like severe bleeding). 

First Aid Responder terms

  • AED - Automated External Defibrillator

  • BLS - Basic Life Support) - Foundational skills like CPR, airway management.

  • CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

  • Cyanosis - Bluish skin from lack of oxygen.

  • Dyspnea - Shortness of breath.

Facial Injuries – hyphema, blow out fracture, cauliflower ear, anisocoria, conjunctivitis, tinnitus, wound types, etc. – how many & definition of each

  • Hyphema: A collection of blood in the anterior chamber of the eye (the space between the cornea and the iris). It is often caused by blunt trauma to the eye and is considered a medical emergency.

  • Blow-out fracture: A fracture of one or more of the bones that form the eye socket (orbit), typically the floor or inner wall, caused by blunt force trauma. This can lead to double vision, a sunken eye, or pain with eye movement.

  • Cauliflower ear: A permanent deformity of the outer ear that results from an untreated auricular hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin of the ear). The untreated hematoma disrupts the blood supply to the cartilage, causing it to die and form scar tissue, resulting in a lumpy, cauliflower-like appearance.

  • Anisocoria: A condition characterized by unequal pupil sizes. It can be a normal variation in some people or a sign of an underlying medical condition, such as nerve damage, trauma, or a brain issue.

  • Conjunctivitis: Also known as "pink eye," it is the inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer of tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inner eyelid. It can be caused by viruses (most common), bacteria, or allergies.

  • Tinnitus: The perception of sound (such as ringing, roaring, buzzing, or hissing) in the ears or head when no external sound is present. It is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss or an ear injury.

Anaphylaxis & epi-pen

  • EpiPen is the first-line and only medication that can stop or reverse the life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction). It works immediately to open airways, reduce swelling, and maintain blood pressure

Reflex testing sites, purpose

  • using a reflex hammer to diagnose nerve damage, spinal issues (like herniated discs), or neurological disorders

  • Biceps: Tests C5-C6 nerve roots (arm).

  • Triceps: Tests C6-C7 nerve roots (arm).

  • Patellar (Knee-jerk): Tests L2-L4 nerve roots (thigh/knee).

  • Achilles (Ankle): Tests S1 nerve root (calf/heel).

  • Brachioradialis (Forearm): Tests C5-C6 nerve roots

Proprioception

  • your body's innate sense of its own position, movement, and action in space, allowing you to move and balance without constantly looking at your limbs, thanks to sensory receptors (proprioceptors) in your muscles, joints, and tendons sending signals to your brain. It's why you can touch your nose with eyes closed or walk on uneven ground

Concussion Assessment – Maddock’s, red flags, BESS, finger to nose, orientation, memory

  • Maddock's questions - memory questions

  • BESS test - Balance Error Scoring System (double leg stance, single leg stance, tandem). Count number of errors

  • PEARL - pupils equal and reactive to light

Bleeding sources – arterial, venous, capillary

  • Arterial is bright red, spurting, and most severe

  • Venous is dark red, flowing steadily, less severe but still serious

  • Capillary is an ooze of lighter red blood, common in scrapes, usually minor, and easiest to control with direct pressure

Subdural vs. Epidural Hematoma

  • epidural hematoma - a hematoma located on top of the dura (between the dura and skull)

  • subdural hematoma - a hematoma located beneath the dura (between the dura and brain)

GCS

  • neurological assessment tool used to objectively measure a person's level of consciousness by evaluating three key areas: Eye Opening (E), Verbal Response (V), and Motor Response (M), with scores ranging from 3 (deep coma) to 15 (fully alert). It helps healthcare professionals quickly gauge the severity of brain injury or impairment, guide treatment, and monitor changes in neurological status, especially after head trauma, stroke, or poisoning

Therapeutic modalities definition & specific uses

  • specific treatments using energies (thermal, light, electrical) or techniques to achieve healing goals like pain relief, improved function, reduced inflammation, etc.

  • Thermal: Hot packs, cold packs (cryotherapy).

  • Mechanical: Compression devices, ultrasound (acoustic energy).

  • Electromagnetic/Light: Electrical stimulation (TENS, NMES), laser therapy, UV light.

Contraindications

  • a specific symptom, condition, or factor that makes a particular medical treatment, procedure, or drug potentially harmful and should not be used because the risk outweighs the benefit