Question | Answer |
Most common postural change with age | "senile posture"
Forward Head Posture (FHP)
Rounded shoulders
Increased thoracic kyphosis
Decreased lumbar lordosis
Flexed hips and knees |
When is the greatest amount of bone density lost with osteoporosis? | Within the first 5 years of menopause |
What is estrogen's effect on osteo cells? | Reduces the lifespan of osteoclasts
Lengthens the lifespan of osteoblasts |
What is secondary osteoporosis? | Bone loss associated with chronic medical conditions, nutritional deficiencies, and medications |
What modifiable risk factor doubles the risk of an osteoporotic fracture? | Smoking |
What chronic medical problems can cause osteoporosis? | RA
Diabetes
Hyperthyroidism
Addison's
Liver disease |
What kyphotic deformity is associated with osteoporosis? | Anterior compression wedge fractures of the vertebral bodies.
Multiple fractures form a curve known as a "Gibbus" or "Dowager's hump" |
Signs and symptoms of a wedge fracture | Loss of height
Distended abdomen
Stooped posture
Only 1 out of 4 women with VCF have symptoms |
Drug therapy to treat osteoporosis | Hormone replacement therapy
Bisphosphonates decrease osteoclast activity
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) |
Recommended doses of Calcium and Vitamin D | Ca = 1000-1500 mg
Vitamin D = 400-600 IU per day
Vitamin D slows down bone loss, increases absorption of Ca in the GI, and boosts mineralization |
Medical interventions for vertebral fractures | Vertbroplasty - cement injected into the vertebral body
Kyphoplasty - balloon tamp inserted prior to injecting cement
Significant relief in pain in 90-95% of pts |
Interventions for kyphotic posturing | Proprioceptive and neuromuscular reeducation
Kyphothosis or Spino-Medbrace
Resistive exercises |
Kyphotic posture has been linked to a propensity to __________ in osteoporotic individuals. | fall |
During the acute phase of vertebral fracture PT should focus on | Exercises to reduce muscle guarding around fx site
Deep relaxed breathing to decrease muscle guarding |
How long does it take for changes in BMD to appear due to exercise? | Measurable changes may only be apparent years later |
Type of exercises to increase BMD | Site-specific
Heavy loading with few repetitions and high strain |
Flexion vs Extension exercises | 89% of flex group experienced VCF
67% in non-exercise group
53% in flex and ext group
16% in ext group |
T-Score for osteopenia | -1.0 - -2.5 osteopenia
lower than -2.5 osteoporosis |
Osteomalacia | Bone disorder caused by a failure of normal calcification of bone matrix
Softening of bones due to lack of vitamin D
Dysfunction with the ability to metabolize vitamin D |
Most common cause of osteomalacia in older adults | Inadequate intake of vitamin D
Lack of exposure to sunlight
GI malabsorption
Extensive burns
Chronic diarrhea
Medications - i.e. Dilantin |
Paget's disease (Osteitis Deformans) | Progression of 3 distinct stages
1) Osteoclastic
2) Osteoblastic
3) Sclerotic
Osteoblast construct abnormally large and deformed bone |
Locations most often affected by Paget's disease | Pelvis
Long bones
Spine
Reibs
Sternum
Cranium |
Symptoms of Paget's Disease | Most patients have no symptoms
Insidious onset and slow progression
Bone and joint pain or stiffness
Bowing of femur and tibia and thoracic kyphosis
Enlarged head
Waddling gait pattern
Acute px may indicate fx |
Avascular Necrosis (AVN, Osteonecrosis) | Lack of blood supply resulting in death of bone tissue in absense of infection |
Joints most likely to be affected by AVN | Hip* - most common
Shoulder
Knee
Hand
Foot
Ankles |
AVN is associated with | Long-term corticosteriod use
Excessive alcohol intake
DM
Obesity
Gout
Cushing's disease |
Most common locations of OA | CMC
Knees
Hips |
3 Stages of RA | 1) Synovium swelling, stiffness, erythema, joint effusion
2) Rapid division and growth of cells, thickening of synovium
3) Release of enzymes from inflamed cells, development of vascular granulation tissue (pannus) |
PT interventions for RA | Joint protection techniques
Passive mobilization
Postural exercises
Strengthening exercises at all stages of RA |
Cervical RA symptom location | Usually posterior and mid-cervical |
Cervical spondylosis | Degernerative changes in cervical spine
Loss of disk height
Reduction in spinal ROM
Radiculitis in UE (25% of patients) |
Vertebral artery syndrome (VAS) signs and symptoms | Signs induced by head rotation compressing posterior inferior cerebellar artery
Vertigo
Dizziness
Tinnitus
Blurred Vision
Nausea
Nystagmus
Ataxia |
Possible causes of VAS | osteophytes from OA
disc degeneration and narrowing of intervertebral space
FHP |
Ossification of PLL symptoms | Limits cervical flex
May cause radiculopathy |
PT treatments for ossification of PLL | MHP
Cervical traction
Avoidance of sedentary activites
Postural exercises
Stretching
ROM
PREs |
Degenerative disc disease results in _______(3) | Reduces foraminal cross-section due to inward bowing of annulus and ligamentum flavum
Loads placed on longitudianl ligaments and outer-most annulus that stimulates osteoblastosis
Results in osteophytes or disk-osteophyte formation |
Spinal Stenosis | Initial spinal instability with aging is caused by dehydration of intervertebral disc
Addition of bone occurs at periosteal surfaces resulting in osteophyte formation causing stenosis |
What is the most common cause of neurologic leg pain in older adults? | Stenosis |
What leads to compression of the neural elements in the lumbar spine? | Posterior osteophytosis
Severe disk narrowing
bulging of annulus fibrosis and ligamentum flavum |
What are the most common causes of pain in active geriatric populations? | Impingement syndrome
Rotator cuff pathology |
Tendonitis | Inflammation of the tendon sheath (not the tendon itself) |
Bursitis | Inflammation of the subacromial bursa |
Tendonosis | Intra-tendonous disease, such as intra-substance degeneration or tearing |
OA of the shoulder occurs more commonly than shoulder bursitis in the older population. T/F | False. Bursitis is more common than OA |
Symptoms of bursitis | Palpable tenderness in the area of the inflamed bursa
Pain with movement of muscle affected by the bursa
Symptom relief with rest |
PT interventions for bursitis | Avoid painful movements until pt can tolerate isometric exercise
Perform exercises above and below painful arc
Modalities for pain |
Rotator cuff tears are often atraumatic in older adults. T/F | True |
In the case of a RTC tear with no substantial weakness or functional disability what is recommended? | PT and anti-inflammatory medication for 6 weeks to 3 months |
Capsular pattern for the shoulder | ER is most limited, ABD, FLEX, IR limited |
Reverse TSA are indicated for | Complete RTC tear
Previous TSA that failed |
Colle's Fracture | Distal radius fx with dorsal and radial displacement of the wrist and hand
"Dinner fork" deformity |
OA is common in what joints of the hand? | IP and CMC joints of the thumb |
Dupuyten's contracture (definition, age of onset) | Longitudianl bands of palmar aponeurosis undergo fibrosis, MCP and PIP joints flexed
Average age of onset 60 y.o. |
Swan-neck deformity | DIP flexes
PIP extends |
Boutonniere deformity | DIP extends
PIP flexes |
3 possible causes of posterolateral hip pain along greater trochanter | Trochanteric bursitis
Gluteal insertion tendinopathy
Component loosening in THA |
Results of platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections into joints | Enhanced neovascularization
Accelerated healing process
Promotion of better scar tissue quality |
95% of hip fracture occur at what 2 locations? | Intertrochanteric
Femoral neck |
What is the leading cause of disability in the US? | Knee OA |
What is the strongest single predictor of functional limitations in patients with knee OA | Quadriceps weakness |
What joint deformity in the foot is linked to diabetes? | Diabetic osteoarthropathy, aka Charcot joint arthropathy |
What joint deformities occur in the foot from RA? | Hallux valgus
Hallux rigidus
Hammer toes
Claw toes
Mallet toes
Lateral subluxation with lateral deviation |