This document provides guidance on taking a thorough musculoskeletal history. It emphasizes that history taking is the most important part of making a diagnosis, as a clinician is 60% closer to a diagnosis with a thorough history compared to 40% from physical examination and investigations alone. It outlines the key components of a musculoskeletal history, including chief complaint, history of present illness, functional assessment, review of systems, past medical and surgical history, medications, social history, and specific questions for common conditions like pain, swelling, instability, and loss of function. Examination techniques like inspection, palpation, and active and passive range of motion testing are also summarized. The goal is to educate clinicians on how to take a comprehensive history for the major musculoskeletal

2.  Importance
 Structure
 Orthopedic C/O…
 History of treatment
 Special H/O:
 Pediatric
 Spine
 Shoulder
 Knee

3.  History taking is the most important step in making
a diagnosis.
 A clinician is:
 60% closer to a diagnosis with a thorough history.
 40% by (examination & investigations).
 History taking can either:
 Traumatic,
 Non-traumatic injury.

4. By end of this session, you should be
able & know how to take a MSK
relevant history of the
major musculoskeletal conditions

5. • Demographic features
• Chief complaint
• History of presenting
illness
• Functional level
• MSK systemic review
• Systemic enquiry
• PMH
• PSH
• Drug Hx
• Smoking
• Occupational Hx
• Allergy
• Family Hx
• Social Hx

6. 1. Pain
2. Stiffness.
3. Swelling
4. Instability
5. Deformity
6. Limp
7. Loss of function
8. Altered Sensation.
9. Weakness.

7. • Location
Point with a finger to where it is
• Radiation
Does the pain go anywhere else
• Type
• How long have you had the pain
• How did it start
Injury:
oMechanism of injury
oHow was it treated ?
Insidious

8. • Progression
 Is it better, worse or the same
• When
 Mechanical / Walking
 Rest
 Night
 Constant
• Aggravating & Relieving Factors
 Stairs
 Start up, mechanical
 Pain with twisting & turning
 Up & down hills
 Kneeling
 Squatting

9.  Onset
 Duration
 Painful or not
 Local vs. generalized
 Constant vs. comes and goes
 Size progression: same or ↑
 Rapidly or slowly
 Aggravated & relived factors
 Associated with injury or reactive
 From: soft tissue, joint, or bone

10. • Onset
• How dose it start?
• Any Hx of trauma?
• Frequency
• Trigger/aggravated factors
• Giving way
• Locking
• I can not trust my leg!
• Associated symptoms
 Swelling
 Pain

11. Locking /
clicking
 Due:
 Loose body,
 Meniscal tear
 Locking vs. pseudo-
locking
Giving way
 Due:
 ACL
 Patella

12.  When did you notice it?
 Progressive or not?
 Associated with symptoms  pain, stiffness, …
 Impaired function or not?
 Past Hx of trauma or surgery
 PMHx (neuromuscular, polio)

13.  Onset (acute or chronic)
 Traumatic or non-traumatic ?
 Painful vs. painless
 Progressive or not ?
 Use walking aid ?
 Functional disability ?
 Associated  swelling, deformity, or fever.

14.  How has this affected the patient’s life
 Home (daily living activities DLA)
 Prayer
 Squat or kneel for gardening
 Using toilet
 Getting out of chairs / bed
 Socks
 Stairs
 Walking distance
 Go in & out of car
 Work
 Sport
 Type & intensity
 Run, jump

15.  Weight loss
 Fever
 Loss of sensation
 Loss of motor function
 Sudden difficulties with urination or defecation

16.  Age (the extremes)
 Gender
 Obesity
 Lack of physical
activity
 Inadequate dietary
calcium and vitamin D
 Smoking
 Occupation and Sport
 Family History (as: SCA)
 Infections
 Medication (as: steroid)
 Alcohol
 PHx MSK
injury/condition
 PHx Cancer

17. • Non-operative:
 Medications:
o Analgesia
o Antibiotic
o Patient's own
 Physiotherapy
 Orthotics:
o Walking aid
o Splints
• Operative:
 What, where, and when ?
 Peri-operative complications

18.  Product of  F.T or premature
 Pregnancy  normal or not
 Delivery  SVD (cephalic vs. breach), C/S (elective vs.
E.R)
 Family  parents relatives, patient sequence, F/H of same
D.
 Any  NICU, jaundice, blood transfusion
 Vaccination
 Milestones  neck, flip, sit, stand, walk
 Who noticed the C/O

19. • Pain radiation  as L4, exact dermatome or myotome
• Coughing, straining
• Sphincter control (urine & stool)
• Shopping trolleys (forward flexion)
• Neuropathic:
 Increase  back extension & walking downhill
 Improves  walking uphill & sitting
• Vascular:
 Increase  walking uphill (generates more work)
 Improves  stop walking (stand) is better than sitting due to
pressure gradient

20. • Cervical myelopathy:
 Hand assessment
 Coughing, straining
• Red Flags
 Constitutional symptoms  fevers, sweat, weight loss
 Pain  night or rest
 Immunosuppression

21. • Age of the patient
 Younger patients more:
o shoulder instability,
o acromioclavicular joint injuries
 Older patients more:
o rotator cuff injuries,
o degenerative joint problems
• Mechanism of injury
 Abduction & external rotation  dislocation of the shoulder
 Chronic pain upon overhead activity or at night time  rotator
cuff problem.

22.  Pain where:
 Rotator Cuff  anterolateral & superior
 Bicipital tendonitis  referred to elbow
 Stiffness, Instability, Clicking, Catching, Grinding:
 Initial trauma
 What position
 How often
 Weakness  if large tear in the R.C, not as neuro

23.  Loss of function:
 Home:
oDressing  coat, bra
oGrooming  toilet, brushing hair
oLift objects
oArm above shoulder  top shelves, hanging
 Work
 Sport
 Referred pain  mediastinal disorders, cardiac
ischaemia

24.  Injury  as: ACL
 Mechanism  position of leg at time of injury
 Direct / indirect
 Audible POP
 Did it swell up:
Immediately (haemathrosis)
Delayed (traumatic synovitis)
 What first aid was done / treated
 Could continue football match or had to leave

25.  Insidious  as O.A
 Walking distance
 Walking aid
 How pray  regular or chair
 Cross legs on ground
 Squat (traditional toilet)
 Swelling on & off
 Old injury intra-articular

26.  Importance
 Structure
 Orthopedic C/O…
 History of treatment
 Special H/O:
 Pediatric
 Spine
 Shoulder
 Knee

27. Clinical examination of orthopedic pt:-Clinical examination of orthopedic pt:-
The examination actually begins from
the moment we set eyes on patient. We
observe his or her general appearance,
posture and gait. When we proceed to
the structured examination, the patient
must be suitably undressed, if one limb is
affected both limbs must be exposed so that
they can be compared.

28. 1- look (inspection):-1- look (inspection):-
1.Skin:- Rash, discoloration, abrasions.
2.Soft tissues:- vessels, nerves, other
e.g. muscles, tendons, ligaments, fat,
fascia, lymph nodes.
3.Bone and joint including synovial
and ligaments.

29. 2-feel (palpation):-2-feel (palpation):-
1- skin:-warm or cold?
2-soft tissue:-lump?
3-bone and joint:-outlines, excessive
fluid in joint?
4- tenderness.

30. 3- move:-3- move:-
1-active movement:-ask pt to move the joint
and test for power.
2-passive movement:-examiner who moves
the joint in each anatomical plane.

31. *Joint movement:-
1-Flexion/extension
(These are movements in the sagittal plane for e.g. knee
elbow and ankle joints of toes).
2-Abduction/adduction
(These are movements in the coronal plane, towards or
away from the midline)
3-Internal/external rotation
(These are rotational movement around the
longitudinal axis).
4-Pronation/ supination
(There are also rotatory movement they are applied
only to movement of forearm and foot)
5-Circumduction
(This is a composite movement. It is possible only
for ball and socket joints e.g. hip and shoulder)