1. Musculo skeletal assessment
Nursing 101

3. BONES! Long, short, irregular, flat
Joints allow movement where two bones meet
Tendons join bone to muscle
Ligaments join bone to bone

4. Muscles! Limp, without tone ____________________________
Greater than normal tone__________________________
Decreased size of muscle_____________________________
Increased size of muscle_________________________________

5. Health history Pain Fractures Personal and family history
Achondroplasia
Marfan syndrome
Osteoporosis
Scoliosis

6. Assess posture Stand behind patient, view back, buttocks, and legs
Look for shoulder and hip symmetry, prominent scapula
Kyphosis
Lordosis
Scoliosis

7. Assessing gait Have patient walk away from you
Look for smoothness and rhythm
Observe for limp
Observe for shuffling
Knee should be flexed in normal gait

8. Assessing bone alignment
Inspect for bone deformities and misalignment
Inspect for shortening of limb
Palpate for crepitus
Palpate for motion at points other than joints

9. Assessing neurovascular status
Circulation, motion, sensation (“CMS”)
Compartment Syndrome
Pain
Pallor
Pulselessness
Paresthesia
Paralysis
Poikilothermia

10. Assessing joints Inspect and palpate for effusion Range of motion
Passive
Active
Contracture
Crepitus
Dislocation/subluxation

12. Diagnostic studies of the musculoskeletal system
Xray
nursing implications:
MRI CT
DEXA
Description:
Nursing implications
Arthrogram
Description
Bone Scan