Knee Pain: ABFM practice questions

7 board-style questions on knee pain in the PulseMD family medicine question bank — physician-reviewed, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.

Sample question 1

A 28-year-old man presents to the emergency department after twisting his right knee during a basketball game 2 hours ago. He felt a pop and developed immediate swelling. He was able to bear weight and limp off the court. On examination, he has a moderate effusion and tenderness along the medial joint line. He can flex his knee to 90 degrees, though with pain. He is able to bear weight for 4 steps in the ED. His fibular head is nontender and he has no isolated patellar tenderness. According to the Ottawa Knee Rules, does he need an X-ray?

  1. Yes, because he has joint line tenderness
  2. Yes, because he has a knee effusion
  3. Yes, because he heard a pop at the time of injury
  4. No, he does not meet Ottawa Knee Rule criteria for radiography

Sample question 2

A 67-year-old woman presents with bilateral knee pain that has gradually worsened over the past 3 years. Pain is worse at the end of the day and with prolonged standing or walking. She reports morning stiffness lasting approximately 10-15 minutes each day. Physical examination reveals bony enlargement of both knees, crepitus with range of motion, and a small cool effusion on the right. There is no erythema or warmth. What is the most likely diagnosis?

  1. Osteoarthritis
  2. Gout
  3. Pseudogout
  4. Rheumatoid arthritis

Create a free PulseMD account to answer these, see the explanations, and practice five minutes a day.

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