Barkley Musculoskeletal Practice ACTUAL
EXAM ALL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ALREADY GRADED A+. 100% VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS | UPDATED PER LATEST
GUIDELINES | GRADED A+
.
Questions 1–25: Assessment, Examination & Diagnosis
1. A patient presents with acute low-back pain after lifting a heavy object. The pain radiates
down the posterior leg to the foot. Which condition is most likely?
A. Sciatica/radiculopathy
B. Hip bursitis
C. Carpal tunnel syndrome
D. Plantar fasciitis
Answer: A
Rationale: Pain radiating from the low back down the leg in a dermatomal or sciatic distribution
suggests lumbar nerve-root irritation, commonly called sciatica.
2. Which finding in a patient with back pain is a red flag requiring urgent evaluation?
A. Saddle anesthesia
B. Mild paraspinal tenderness
C. Pain after prolonged sitting
D. Occasional stiffness
Answer: A
,Rationale: Saddle anesthesia may indicate cauda equina syndrome, especially when
accompanied by urinary retention, bowel dysfunction, or leg weakness.
3. A patient develops sudden inability to dorsiflex the foot. Which nerve is most likely
affected?
A. Common peroneal nerve
B. Median nerve
C. Ulnar nerve
D. Radial nerve
Answer: A
Rationale: Common peroneal nerve dysfunction can produce foot drop by impairing ankle
dorsiflexion.
4. Which maneuver is commonly used to evaluate lumbar nerve-root irritation?
A. Straight-leg raise
B. McMurray test
C. Phalen test
D. Finkelstein test
Answer: A
Rationale: The straight-leg raise can reproduce radicular pain associated with lumbosacral
nerve-root irritation.
5. Which finding is most consistent with osteoarthritis?
A. Pain worsens with activity and improves with rest
B. Symmetric inflammatory polyarthritis with prolonged morning stiffness
C. Fever with acute monoarthritis in every case
D. Migratory joint pain with rash
Answer: A
Rationale: Osteoarthritis is primarily a degenerative joint disorder characterized by activity-
related pain and relatively brief morning stiffness.
,6. Which finding is characteristic of inflammatory arthritis?
A. Prolonged morning stiffness
B. Pain only after strenuous exercise
C. No swelling
D. Pain relieved by prolonged immobility
Answer: A
Rationale: Morning stiffness lasting more than approximately 30–60 minutes suggests an
inflammatory process such as rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Which joint is commonly affected by osteoarthritis?
A. Knee
B. Sacroiliac joint exclusively
C. Temporomandibular joint only
D. Sternoclavicular joint only
Answer: A
Rationale: The knees are among the most commonly affected weight-bearing joints in
osteoarthritis.
8. Heberden nodes are found at the:
A. Distal interphalangeal joints
B. Metacarpophalangeal joints
C. Wrists
D. Elbows
Answer: A
Rationale: Heberden nodes are bony enlargements of the DIP joints and are characteristic of
hand osteoarthritis.
9. Bouchard nodes involve the:
, A. Proximal interphalangeal joints
B. Distal interphalangeal joints
C. MCP joints exclusively
D. Wrist joint
Answer: A
Rationale: Bouchard nodes are osteoarthritic bony enlargements of the PIP joints.
10. Which examination finding is associated with rheumatoid arthritis?
A. Symmetric MCP and PIP swelling
B. Isolated DIP involvement only
C. Pain only after running
D. No joint inflammation
Answer: A
Rationale: RA commonly affects the MCP and PIP joints symmetrically and may cause prolonged
morning stiffness.
11. Which joint is characteristically spared in rheumatoid arthritis?
A. Distal interphalangeal joints
B. MCP joints
C. PIP joints
D. Wrist joints
Answer: A
Rationale: DIP involvement is unusual in classic RA and should prompt consideration of other
diagnoses such as osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
12. Which laboratory test is most specific for rheumatoid arthritis?
A. Anti-CCP antibody
B. Serum uric acid
C. CK
D. Alkaline phosphatase
EXAM ALL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ALREADY GRADED A+. 100% VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS | UPDATED PER LATEST
GUIDELINES | GRADED A+
.
Questions 1–25: Assessment, Examination & Diagnosis
1. A patient presents with acute low-back pain after lifting a heavy object. The pain radiates
down the posterior leg to the foot. Which condition is most likely?
A. Sciatica/radiculopathy
B. Hip bursitis
C. Carpal tunnel syndrome
D. Plantar fasciitis
Answer: A
Rationale: Pain radiating from the low back down the leg in a dermatomal or sciatic distribution
suggests lumbar nerve-root irritation, commonly called sciatica.
2. Which finding in a patient with back pain is a red flag requiring urgent evaluation?
A. Saddle anesthesia
B. Mild paraspinal tenderness
C. Pain after prolonged sitting
D. Occasional stiffness
Answer: A
,Rationale: Saddle anesthesia may indicate cauda equina syndrome, especially when
accompanied by urinary retention, bowel dysfunction, or leg weakness.
3. A patient develops sudden inability to dorsiflex the foot. Which nerve is most likely
affected?
A. Common peroneal nerve
B. Median nerve
C. Ulnar nerve
D. Radial nerve
Answer: A
Rationale: Common peroneal nerve dysfunction can produce foot drop by impairing ankle
dorsiflexion.
4. Which maneuver is commonly used to evaluate lumbar nerve-root irritation?
A. Straight-leg raise
B. McMurray test
C. Phalen test
D. Finkelstein test
Answer: A
Rationale: The straight-leg raise can reproduce radicular pain associated with lumbosacral
nerve-root irritation.
5. Which finding is most consistent with osteoarthritis?
A. Pain worsens with activity and improves with rest
B. Symmetric inflammatory polyarthritis with prolonged morning stiffness
C. Fever with acute monoarthritis in every case
D. Migratory joint pain with rash
Answer: A
Rationale: Osteoarthritis is primarily a degenerative joint disorder characterized by activity-
related pain and relatively brief morning stiffness.
,6. Which finding is characteristic of inflammatory arthritis?
A. Prolonged morning stiffness
B. Pain only after strenuous exercise
C. No swelling
D. Pain relieved by prolonged immobility
Answer: A
Rationale: Morning stiffness lasting more than approximately 30–60 minutes suggests an
inflammatory process such as rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Which joint is commonly affected by osteoarthritis?
A. Knee
B. Sacroiliac joint exclusively
C. Temporomandibular joint only
D. Sternoclavicular joint only
Answer: A
Rationale: The knees are among the most commonly affected weight-bearing joints in
osteoarthritis.
8. Heberden nodes are found at the:
A. Distal interphalangeal joints
B. Metacarpophalangeal joints
C. Wrists
D. Elbows
Answer: A
Rationale: Heberden nodes are bony enlargements of the DIP joints and are characteristic of
hand osteoarthritis.
9. Bouchard nodes involve the:
, A. Proximal interphalangeal joints
B. Distal interphalangeal joints
C. MCP joints exclusively
D. Wrist joint
Answer: A
Rationale: Bouchard nodes are osteoarthritic bony enlargements of the PIP joints.
10. Which examination finding is associated with rheumatoid arthritis?
A. Symmetric MCP and PIP swelling
B. Isolated DIP involvement only
C. Pain only after running
D. No joint inflammation
Answer: A
Rationale: RA commonly affects the MCP and PIP joints symmetrically and may cause prolonged
morning stiffness.
11. Which joint is characteristically spared in rheumatoid arthritis?
A. Distal interphalangeal joints
B. MCP joints
C. PIP joints
D. Wrist joints
Answer: A
Rationale: DIP involvement is unusual in classic RA and should prompt consideration of other
diagnoses such as osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
12. Which laboratory test is most specific for rheumatoid arthritis?
A. Anti-CCP antibody
B. Serum uric acid
C. CK
D. Alkaline phosphatase
