Upper/Lower Limb — MCQs

A 45-year-old woman presents to her primary care provider for wrist pain. She reports a 4-month history of gradually worsening pain localized to the radial side of her right wrist. The pain is dull, non-radiating, and intermittent. Her past medical history is notable for rheumatoid arthritis and von Willebrand disease. She does not smoke and drinks alcohol socially. She is active in her neighborhood’s local badminton league. Her temperature is 98.6°F (37°C), blood pressure is 125/75 mmHg, pulse is 80/min, and respirations are 18/min. On exam, she has mild tenderness to palpation in her thenar snuffbox. Nodules are located on the proximal interphalangeal joints of both hands. Ulnar deviation of the hand with her thumb clenched in her palm produces pain. Which of the following muscles in most likely affected in this patient?

A 32-year-old man comes to the physician because of episodic tingling and numbness in his right hand for the past 3 months. His symptoms are worse in the evening. There is no history of trauma. He is employed as a carpenter. He has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes daily for the past 10 years. He drinks a pint of vodka daily. He does not use illicit drugs. His vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows decreased pinch strength in the right hand. Sensations are decreased over the little finger and both the dorsal and palmar surfaces of the medial aspect of the right hand. Which of the following is the most likely site of nerve compression?

A 56-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of pain and swelling in his left leg. He has a history of pancreatic cancer and is currently receiving chemotherapy. Three weeks ago, he had a similar episode in his right arm that resolved without treatment. His temperature is 38.2°C (100.8°F). Palpation of the left leg shows a tender, cord-shaped structure medial to the medial condyle of the femur. The overlying skin is erythematous. Which of the following vessels is most likely affected?

A 64-year-old female with a long-standing history of poorly-controlled diabetes presents with 3 weeks of abnormal walking. She says that lately she has noticed that she keeps dragging the toes of her right foot while walking, and this has led to her stubbing her toes. Upon physical exam, you notice a right unilateral foot drop that is accompanied by decreased sensation in the first dorsal web space. She also walks with a pronounced steppage gait. A deficit in which of the following nerves is likely responsible for this presentation?

A 21-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department following a motor vehicle collision. She has significant pain and weakness in her right arm and hand. Physical examination shows multiple ecchymoses and tenderness in the right upper extremity. She is able to make a fist, but there is marked decrease in grip strength. An x-ray of the right upper extremity shows a midshaft humerus fracture. Which of the following structures is most likely injured?

A 35-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 1, at 40 weeks' gestation, presents to the hospital with contractions spaced 2 minutes apart. Her past medical history is significant for diabetes, which she has controlled with insulin during this pregnancy. Her pregnancy has otherwise been unremarkable. A baby boy is born via a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Physical examination shows he weighs 4.5 kg (9 lb), the pulse is 140/min, the respirations are 40/min, and he has good oxygen saturation on room air. His left arm is pronated and medially rotated. He is unable to move it away from his body. The infant’s right arm functions normally and he is able to move his wrists and all 10 digits. Which of the following nerve roots were most likely damaged during delivery?

A 35-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 3-month history of intermittent right lateral hip pain that radiates to the thigh. Climbing stairs and lying on his right side aggravates the pain. Examination shows tenderness to palpation over the upper lateral part of the right thigh. There is no swelling. When the patient is asked to abduct the right leg against resistance, tenderness is noted. An x-ray of the pelvis shows no abnormalities. Which of the following structures is the most likely source of this patient's pain?

A healthy 28-year-old woman at 30-weeks gestational age, has gained 35lbs since becoming pregnant. She complains of several weeks of bilateral numbness and tingling of her palms, thumbs, index and middle fingers that is worse at night. She also notes weakness gripping objects at the office. Which nerve is most likely affected?

A 43-year-old man comes to the physician because of a swelling at the back of his left knee that he first noticed 2 months ago. The swelling is not painful, but he occasionally experiences pain at the back of his knee when he is standing for prolonged periods. He also reports mild stiffness of the knee when he wakes up in the morning that disappears after a few minutes of waking up and moving about. Examination shows no local calf tenderness, but forced dorsiflexion of the foot aggravates his knee pain. There is a 3-cm, mildly tender, fixed mass at the medial side of the left popliteal fossa. The mass is more prominent on extension and disappears upon flexion of the left knee. Which of the following is the strongest predisposing risk factor for this patient's condition?

Eighteen hours after the vaginal delivery of a 2788-g (6-lb 2-oz) newborn, a 22-year-old woman has weakness and numbness of her right foot. She is unable to walk without dragging and shuffling the foot. The delivery was complicated by prolonged labor and had received epidural analgesia. There is no personal or family history of serious illness. Her temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 98/min, and blood pressure is 118/70 mm Hg. Examination shows a high-stepping gait. There is weakness of right foot dorsiflexion and right ankle eversion. Sensation is decreased over the dorsum of the right foot and the anterolateral aspect of the right lower extremity below the knee. Deep tendon reflexes are 2+ bilaterally. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?