AHN 577 CORE EXAM MANUAL 2025/2026 QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
Splint fracture where it lies unless limb is not neurovascularly intact - ✔✔What is the
general rule of thumb for splinting?
Subacromial Impingement Syndrome - ✔✔Inflammation of the subacromial space r/t
muscle strength imbalances, poor scapula control, rotator cuff tears, subacromial
bursitis, and bone spurs
Subacromial Impingement Syndrome - ✔✔Pain with overhead activities, nocturnal pain
from sleeping on shoulder, or pain with internal rotation
Decreased active ROM and preserved passive ROM - ✔✔Subacromial Impingement
Syndrome will show __________ active ROM but _____________ passive ROM
Partial rotator cuff tears - ✔✔Most common reasons for impingement syndrome are
what?
Supraspinatus - ✔✔What is the most common tendon affected in rotator cuff tears?
Rotator cuff tears - ✔✔Related to falls on an outstretched arm/hand, falls pulling on the
shoulder, or chronic repetitive injuries with overhead movement and lifting
Full thickness rotator cuff tears - ✔✔Which are more symptomatic and may be more
obvious with weakness noted with light resistance testing--- full-thickness or partial
thickness rotator cuff tears?
Rotator cuff injuries - ✔✔Pain with overhead movement and night pain (similar to
impingement syndrome) are symptoms of what injury?
MRI - ✔✔What diagnostic test is the best method for visualizing rotator cuff tears?
PT and muscle strengthening - ✔✔What is the treatment for partial rotator cuff injuries?
40% - ✔✔What percentage of partial thickness rotator cuff injuries turn into full
thickness within 2 years?
Shoulder dislocation - ✔✔True separation of humerus from glenoid fossa is called
what?
Subluxation - ✔✔The partial displacement of a bone from its joint is called what?
,Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔This shoulder dislocation is usually caused by a fall
on an outstretched and abducted arm, externally rotated.
Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔An example of this type of shoulder dislocation would
be blocking a basketball shot.
Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔Most common type of shoulder dislocation
Posterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔This type of shoulder dislocation is usually
associated with traumatic blows to the anterior portion of the shoulder, falls from a
height, seizures, or electric shocks
Humerus fracture - ✔✔Posterior shoulder dislocations can be associated with what
fracture?
Atraumatic shoulder dislocations - ✔✔Swimmers, gymnasts, and pitchers (athletes
involved in overhead and throwing sports) commonly can have what problem?
Abducted and externally rotated - ✔✔Shoulder dislocations usually occur when the
humerus is in which of the following positions
Identifies posterior shoulder dislocations - ✔✔Orthogonal views are used to identify
what on radiological examination?
Axillary Nerve - ✔✔Which nerve is most commonly affected with shoulder dislocations?
3-6 months - ✔✔If surgery is required to fix axillary nerve damage d/t shoulder
dislocation, how long post injury would the surgery be?
By rubbing the outside of the arm for sensation - ✔✔How do you test for axillary nerve
damage d/t shoulder dislocation?
Abducted and internally rotated in sling for 2-4 weeks w - ✔✔How do you properly
immobilize s/p shoulder dislocation?
Surgery - ✔✔What is the only treatment that has been shown to decrease reoccurrence
of shoulder dislocation?
Adhesive Capsulitits (Frozen Shoulder) - ✔✔Presentation/ Exam for what includes the
following:
1. pain, limited PROM and AROM
2. limitation of movement of external rotation w/ elbow by the side of the trunk
3. strength normal, appears diminished w/ pain
, 1. Inflammatory Phase
2. Freezing Phase
3. Thawing Phase - ✔✔What are the 3 phases of adhesive capsulitits?
4-6 months - ✔✔How long does the inflammatory phase occur with adhesive capsulitis?
Painful shoulder without obvious clinical findings - ✔✔What symptoms occur during the
inflammatory phase of adhesive capsulitis?
4-6 months - ✔✔How long does the freezing phase occur with adhesive capuslitis?
Shoulder becomes more stiff over time but the pain improves - ✔✔What symptoms
occur during the freezing phase of adhesive capsulitis?
Up to a year - ✔✔How long dose the thawing phase occur in adhesive capuslitis?
Shoulder slowly regains motion - ✔✔What occurs during the thawing phase of adhesive
capsulitis
Glenohumeral arthritits - ✔✔Along with adhesive capsulitis, what can also present with
limited AROM and PROM?
Calcific Tendonitis - ✔✔Acute inflammatory process where calcifications are visible in
the soft tissue
During the freezing phase - ✔✔When are NSAIDs beneficial for adhesive capsulitis?
elderly women w/ hx of osteoporosis - ✔✔Humerus fractures frequently occur in which
population?
Humerus Fracture - ✔✔Which fracture frequently occurs due to Falls or FOOSH?
Midshaft Fracture - ✔✔Direct trauma to the humerus usually causes which type of
fracture?
Radial Nerve - ✔✔Which nerve is commonly injured in midshaft humeral fractures?
6-12 week - ✔✔Humeral fractures usually take how long to heal?
Adhesive capuslitis - ✔✔What is the most common complication of proximal humerus
fractures?
Discontinue sling w/in 2-4 weeks of injury - ✔✔How can you help prevent adhesive
capsulitis from occurring after a proximal humeral fracture?
AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
Splint fracture where it lies unless limb is not neurovascularly intact - ✔✔What is the
general rule of thumb for splinting?
Subacromial Impingement Syndrome - ✔✔Inflammation of the subacromial space r/t
muscle strength imbalances, poor scapula control, rotator cuff tears, subacromial
bursitis, and bone spurs
Subacromial Impingement Syndrome - ✔✔Pain with overhead activities, nocturnal pain
from sleeping on shoulder, or pain with internal rotation
Decreased active ROM and preserved passive ROM - ✔✔Subacromial Impingement
Syndrome will show __________ active ROM but _____________ passive ROM
Partial rotator cuff tears - ✔✔Most common reasons for impingement syndrome are
what?
Supraspinatus - ✔✔What is the most common tendon affected in rotator cuff tears?
Rotator cuff tears - ✔✔Related to falls on an outstretched arm/hand, falls pulling on the
shoulder, or chronic repetitive injuries with overhead movement and lifting
Full thickness rotator cuff tears - ✔✔Which are more symptomatic and may be more
obvious with weakness noted with light resistance testing--- full-thickness or partial
thickness rotator cuff tears?
Rotator cuff injuries - ✔✔Pain with overhead movement and night pain (similar to
impingement syndrome) are symptoms of what injury?
MRI - ✔✔What diagnostic test is the best method for visualizing rotator cuff tears?
PT and muscle strengthening - ✔✔What is the treatment for partial rotator cuff injuries?
40% - ✔✔What percentage of partial thickness rotator cuff injuries turn into full
thickness within 2 years?
Shoulder dislocation - ✔✔True separation of humerus from glenoid fossa is called
what?
Subluxation - ✔✔The partial displacement of a bone from its joint is called what?
,Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔This shoulder dislocation is usually caused by a fall
on an outstretched and abducted arm, externally rotated.
Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔An example of this type of shoulder dislocation would
be blocking a basketball shot.
Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔Most common type of shoulder dislocation
Posterior Shoulder Dislocation - ✔✔This type of shoulder dislocation is usually
associated with traumatic blows to the anterior portion of the shoulder, falls from a
height, seizures, or electric shocks
Humerus fracture - ✔✔Posterior shoulder dislocations can be associated with what
fracture?
Atraumatic shoulder dislocations - ✔✔Swimmers, gymnasts, and pitchers (athletes
involved in overhead and throwing sports) commonly can have what problem?
Abducted and externally rotated - ✔✔Shoulder dislocations usually occur when the
humerus is in which of the following positions
Identifies posterior shoulder dislocations - ✔✔Orthogonal views are used to identify
what on radiological examination?
Axillary Nerve - ✔✔Which nerve is most commonly affected with shoulder dislocations?
3-6 months - ✔✔If surgery is required to fix axillary nerve damage d/t shoulder
dislocation, how long post injury would the surgery be?
By rubbing the outside of the arm for sensation - ✔✔How do you test for axillary nerve
damage d/t shoulder dislocation?
Abducted and internally rotated in sling for 2-4 weeks w - ✔✔How do you properly
immobilize s/p shoulder dislocation?
Surgery - ✔✔What is the only treatment that has been shown to decrease reoccurrence
of shoulder dislocation?
Adhesive Capsulitits (Frozen Shoulder) - ✔✔Presentation/ Exam for what includes the
following:
1. pain, limited PROM and AROM
2. limitation of movement of external rotation w/ elbow by the side of the trunk
3. strength normal, appears diminished w/ pain
, 1. Inflammatory Phase
2. Freezing Phase
3. Thawing Phase - ✔✔What are the 3 phases of adhesive capsulitits?
4-6 months - ✔✔How long does the inflammatory phase occur with adhesive capsulitis?
Painful shoulder without obvious clinical findings - ✔✔What symptoms occur during the
inflammatory phase of adhesive capsulitis?
4-6 months - ✔✔How long does the freezing phase occur with adhesive capuslitis?
Shoulder becomes more stiff over time but the pain improves - ✔✔What symptoms
occur during the freezing phase of adhesive capsulitis?
Up to a year - ✔✔How long dose the thawing phase occur in adhesive capuslitis?
Shoulder slowly regains motion - ✔✔What occurs during the thawing phase of adhesive
capsulitis
Glenohumeral arthritits - ✔✔Along with adhesive capsulitis, what can also present with
limited AROM and PROM?
Calcific Tendonitis - ✔✔Acute inflammatory process where calcifications are visible in
the soft tissue
During the freezing phase - ✔✔When are NSAIDs beneficial for adhesive capsulitis?
elderly women w/ hx of osteoporosis - ✔✔Humerus fractures frequently occur in which
population?
Humerus Fracture - ✔✔Which fracture frequently occurs due to Falls or FOOSH?
Midshaft Fracture - ✔✔Direct trauma to the humerus usually causes which type of
fracture?
Radial Nerve - ✔✔Which nerve is commonly injured in midshaft humeral fractures?
6-12 week - ✔✔Humeral fractures usually take how long to heal?
Adhesive capuslitis - ✔✔What is the most common complication of proximal humerus
fractures?
Discontinue sling w/in 2-4 weeks of injury - ✔✔How can you help prevent adhesive
capsulitis from occurring after a proximal humeral fracture?
