TMJ and Foot Disorders Assessment

Inspecting the face and TMJ for swelling, redness; assess pain with chewing, jaw clenching, teeth grinding; palpate muscles of mastication; assess range of motion.

A rounded bulge anterior to the external auditory meatus, often seen in TMJ disorders.

Inspecting the ankle and foot for abnormalities like nodules, swelling, calluses, and corns.

Tenderness and thickening of the Achilles tendon, sometimes with a prominent bone.

Defect in the Achilles tendon, along with tenderness and swelling.

Focal heel tenderness at the plantar fascia attachment site; pain standing after rest.

Hyperkeratotic lesion caused by HPV, located on the sole of the foot; can appear stippled.

Assess ankle and foot movement (flexion/extension, inversion/eversion).

Tender to pinching side to side, not direct pressure.

Tender to direct pressure, not pinching.

Joint pain, often in the big toe, characterized by redness, heat, tenderness, and swelling.

Big toe deviates outward, metatarsal head enlarges (bunion).

Tenderness between 3rd & 4th metatarsals, pain to toes, numbness, and/or burning from metatarsal heads.

Pain/numbness in first 3 fingers, especially at night, loss of sensation on palm side of thumb to medial 4th finger, dropping objects.

Evaluate thumb abduction weakness, Tinel's (tapping nerve), and Phalen's (hand flexion) tests for positive signs.

Inflammation, pain, stiffness, swelling, and movement limitation within joints.

Inability to effectively abduct the arm above shoulder height.

Inability to fully externally rotate the arm.

Testing for biceps tendonitis involves resistance against elbow flexion. Pain indicates a potential problem.

Shoulder joint pain elicited by cross-over testing.

Limited internal and external shoulder rotation.

Joint disorders where pain is improved by exercise and worsened by rest.

Joint disorders where pain and stiffness increase with activity and decrease with rest.

Pain originating outside of the joint, from bursae, tendons, or ligaments.

An autoimmune disease affecting the synovial membrane, causing joint deformity. Symptoms are usually symmetrical.

Degenerative joint disease, specifically affecting weight-bearing joints, leading to bone-on-bone contact.

Swollen bumps on the distal interphalangeal joints (DIPs), a common sign of osteoarthritis.

Swollen bumps on the proximal interphalangeal joints (PIPs), less common sign of osteoarthritis.

A test for rotator cuff tears in the shoulder. Positive if patient cannot control arm lowering.

A test for shoulder impingement; pain in anterior or lateral shoulder during arm elevation.

A test for shoulder impingement, involving internal rotation of the arm while flexing it.

Inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac in the shoulder; tender to palpation and may have associated swelling

Inflammation of the tissues surrounding a joint, manifested by symptoms like redness, pain, and tenderness, along with potential fluid buildup

Inflammation of the synovial membrane, a tissue lining the joint capsule, often causing palpable 'bogginess' or 'doughiness'

Abnormal accumulation of fluid within a joint, characterized by palpable fluid

Inflammation of a tendon (tissue connecting muscle to bone), often causing tenderness over the tendon

A condition causing pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and fingers due to compression of the median nerve in the wrist

Testing for carpal tunnel syndrome; tapping over a nerve to elicit tingling or paresthesia

Hard nodules (Heberden or Bouchard nodes) common in the joints but MCPs rarely involved

MCPs (knuckle) are frequently tender or boggy, unlike osteoarthritis

Valgus stress on the knee, feeling or hearing a click, tenderness along the joint line leads to further meniscus tear assessment.

Check if the tibia (shin bone) slides forward excessively during tibia pulling. Lack of a firm endpoint indicates ACL damage.

Pull tibia forward while pushing femur back. Determine forward excursion; a firm endpoint is typical. Excessive movement suggests ACL damage.

Repetitive shoulder motion can lead to inflammation of supraspinatus tendon, sharp pain, catching, weakness overhead.

Injury from falls or repeated impingement can lead to a partial or full-thickness tear in rotator cuff tendons, causing chronic shoulder pain, night pain, or catching/grating.

Look for defects in muscle attachments near the greater tuberosity of the humerus and crepitus during arm rotation below the acromion.

The process of bending (flexion) and straightening (extension) the knee joint. These movements are critical for functional mobility.

A clinical test to evaluate the integrity of the ligaments on the inside of the knee by applying a valgus force across the knee.