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NURS 6512 ASSESSING MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN

Patient Information:

Initials: M.D.              Age: 46 years old        Sex: Female    Race: Caucasian

S.

CC (chief complaint): Case 2: Ankle Pain

HPI: The patient is a 46-year-old Caucasian female experiencing pain in both ankles.  She expresses more concern regarding her right ankle due to a “popping” sensation experienced during a recent football match.  She experiences discomfort while putting weight on her right ankle.  The patient reports experiencing intermittent achy and throbbing pain on the outer side of their right ankle.  The patient reports a pain level of 4/10 at rest and 7/10 during ambulation.  After the injury, she applied elevation and ice to her right ankle.  She has used ibuprofen sporadically to alleviate pain, yielding moderate outcomes.  The pain sometimes spreads about 4 inches along the outer side of the right lower limb.  The right ankle experienced immediate swelling following a popping sound.  She occasionally experiences discomfort in her left ankle, with a pain rating of 3-4 out of 10. However, there are currently no sudden changes in the condition of her left ankle.

Location: ankles

Onset: About three days ago, during the weekend.

Character: The pain sometimes spreads about 4 inches along the outer side of the right lower limb.

Associated signs and symptoms: The right ankle experienced immediate swelling following a popping sound.

Timing: All day long

Exacerbating/ relieving factors: Tylenol and ice packs may help lessen the discomfort. With weight on it, it is worse.

Severity: Reports a pain level of 4/10 at rest and 7/10 during ambulation.

Current Medications:

  • Pills for birth control
  • Effexor 37.5 mg orally once a day for depression
  • Ibuprofen 600 mg p.o. OTC Q6H prn, pain

Allergies: No reported allergies to drugs, food, or latex.

PMHx: She undergoes an annual flu vaccination.  She has received the COVID-19 vaccination.  The individual received all childhood immunisations as recommended and received a tetanus booster in 2018. Her depression is effectively managed with Effexor. One caesarean section was performed.

Soc Hx: The patient is married and has a 13-year-old child.  She works as a cashier at a nearby nursery.  She exhibited athleticism during her childhood.  She abstains from smoking, drinking, and using recreational drugs.  She maintains her physical well-being by engaging in regular football matches with friends and weightlifting exercises thrice a week.  She consumes a single cup of coffee daily.  She follows a plant-based diet.  She has maintained a vegetarian diet for a decade.

Fam Hx: The patient’s 80 mother is alive and healthy. Her medical history includes severe arthritis in her joints, depression, and hypertension.  The father, aged 83, is currently in good health despite having a history of malignancy in his prostate, unspecified mental health disorders, hypertension, and high cholesterol.  She has a 54-year-old brother who is alive and in good health, although he has undiagnosed mental health disorders.  Her 14-year-old son is in good health.  The health history of the deceased grandparents includes arthritis, lung cancer, prostate cancer, hypertension, cirrhosis related to alcoholism, and high cholesterol.   

ROS:

GENERAL:  denies experiencing weakness, exhaustion, or fever.

HEENT: denies experiencing headaches or changes in taste, smell, vision, or hearing.

SKIN:  denies rashes, itching, superficial bruises, or inadequate wound healing.

CARDIOVASCULAR:  denies experiencing any chest pressure, pain, or discomfort. No edema or palpitations. Denies orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Denies intolerance for exercise.

PERIPHERAL VASCULATURE: denies having blood clots, calves discomfort, easy bruising, or a history of aneurysms.

MUSCULOSKELETAL: Affirms right ankle edema, trouble bearing weight, and bilateral ankle discomfort worse on the right than on the left. She disputes any previous joint stiffness, bony abnormalities, or restricted range of motion in any joint, including bilateral ankles.

NEUROLOGIC: denies having ever had a CVA, headaches, vertigo, concussion, seizures, numbness, or tremors.

MENTAL HEALTH: reports a history of well-controlled depression. She says her mood is steady. Denies having trouble focusing, mood fluctuations, or disturbed sleep.

O.

Vital signs: BP 129564, HR 71, RR 18, and temperature were all at 97.9 F on room air. Weight- 123 pounds, 5’5″ in height. BMI: 20.5

General: Ankle pain in the right leg is the only source of minor discomfort for this 46-year-old Caucasian woman. She is kind and helpful.

HEENT:  The head appears normal in size and shape, with no signs of injury. The patient’s examination findings include PERRLA and EOMI.

Skin: Warm and dry. No observed skin abnormalities, such as rashes, wounds, lesions, or excessive bruising. The right lateral ankle exhibits bruising.

Neck: Flexible. Complete range of motion.

Chest: Lungs are clear upon auscultation.  The patient does not exhibit any coughing or difficulty in breathing. Normal heart sounds, S1 and S2, are present without abnormal sounds such as murmurs, rubs, or gallops.  No edema was observed except for the right lateral ankle.

Peripheral vasculature: The dorsal pedis pulses on both sides are graded as +2, as are the posterior tibial pulses, popliteal pulses, and femoral pulses bilaterally.

Musculoskeletal System: The right lateral ankle is swollen and exhibits a reduced range of motion, weakness, and tenderness upon palpation of the lower aspect of the fibula and the surrounding ligaments (including the anterior and posterior tibiofibular ligaments, posterior and anterior talofibular ligaments, and calcaneofibular ligament), as well as the lateral malleolus.  The right ankle exhibits bruising on its lateral aspect. The medial aspect of the right ankle is non-tender and does not exhibit any bony deformities or bruising. The left ankle does not exhibit any swelling, bruising, or overt tenderness upon palpation. There were no observed deformities or limitations in the range of motion of the toe, knee, hand, or finger joints.  The spine is in a straight position. The patient exhibits weight-bearing ability on the right foot, albeit with pain. Pain disrupts gait.

Diagnostic results: A right ankle radiograph will be performed if the Ottawa ankle rules indicate it is necessary. An ankle ultrasound will be conducted if it is indicated. Stress tests will be administered to both ankles if they are indicated.  

A.

Differential Diagnoses

  • Right ankle inversion sprain: The patient experiences pain and swelling commonly associated with ankle sprains. The patient’s complaint of bilateral ankle pain suggests the possibility of an acute injury to the right ankle and an underlying disorder affecting both ankles (Lee, 2020).
  • Peroneal tendon disorders: Bilateral ankle pain in the patient necessitates considering other potential underlying disorders (van Dijk et al., 2019). Differentiating between a lateral ankle sprain and peroneal tendon abnormalities can pose challenges.
  • Chronic ankle instability: Patients with a history of multiple ankle sprains may develop chronic ankle instability, increasing their susceptibility to acute inversion injuries (Hertel & Corbett, 2019). A diagnosis can be established when a patient presents with symptoms such as pain, swelling, clinical instability, and a history of injury and re-injury to the lateral aspect of the ankle(s), persisting for at least six months.
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: EDS is a genetic disorder affecting the connective tissues (Malfait et al., 2021). If this is suspected, it would be essential to question the patient’s history of her family members having similar issues or those described below.
  • Avulsion fracture of the right ankle: occurs at the site where a tendon attaches to bone, resulting in the detachment of a bone fragment (Morimoto et al., 2023). The bones potentially impacted in the lateral ankle region are the lateral malleolus, the lateral border of the talus, and the fifth metatarsal.

Primary Diagnosis: Right ankle inversion sprain

References

Hertel, J., & Corbett, R. O. (2019). An Updated Model of Chronic Ankle Instability. Journal of Athletic Training54(6), 572–588. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-344-18

Lee, J.-H. (2020). Short-Term Effect of Ankle Eversion Taping on Bilateral Acute Ankle Inversion Sprains in an Amateur College Football Goalkeeper: A Case Report. Healthcare8(4), 403. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040403

Malfait, F., Colman, M., Vroman, R., De Wandele, I., Rombaut, L., Miller, R. E., Malfait, A., & Syx, D. (2021). Pain in the Ehlers–Danlos syndromes: Mechanisms, models, and challenges. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C: Seminars in Medical Genetics187(4), 429–445. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.31950

Morimoto, S., Tachibana, T., & Tomoya Iseki. (2023). Avulsion fracture of the calcaneal tuberosity treated with novel surgical technique using the combination of the side-locking loop suture technique and ring pins: a case report. Journal of Surgical Case Reports2023(4). https://doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rjad173

van Dijk, P. A. D., Kerkhoffs, G. M. M. J., Chiodo, C., & DiGiovanni, C. W. (2019). Chronic Disorders of the Peroneal Tendons. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons27(16), 590–598. https://doi.org/10.5435/jaaos-d-18-00623


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