Assessment of Injuries
Assessment
is an important skill
that all medical professionals
should posses.
Assessment- the orderly
collection of subjective and
objective data on the injured
athlete’s health status.
Assessment of Injuries
Diagnosis-using
assessment
and physical examination to
establish cause and nature of an
athlete’s injury or disease.
Only a physician can Diagnose
Can all Dr. diagnose all injuries?
Factors Influencing Assessment
Anthropomorphic
data-size,
weight, body structure, gender,
strength and maturity level.
Simply put, when you evaluate a
7th grader it is going to be
different than a college junior.

vs
Factors Influencing Assessment
Mechanism
of Injury (MOI)takes into consideration forces
involved with injury, what hit and
where, was another person
involved?
Factors Influencing Assessment
Speed-the
speed of the
collision/game will affect the
severity of the injury.
Can a sophomore play with a
senior?
Factors Influencing Assessment
Protective
Equipment-was the
equipment properly fit and used.
Is there more advanced
equipment that could be used?
Some examples?
Factors Influencing Assessment
Skill
Level- novice level players
are at risk for more injuries due to
many factors. Inexperience with
the game, new actions, slow or
too fast judgments.
Recognition of Injuries
An
ATC’s first action is to
recognize the level of care
needed.
This many be determined by
direct observation or secondhand accounts.
Levels of Evaluation
Primary
Injury Evaluation
Airway-Breathing-Circulation
Severe
bleeding
Levels of Evaluation
Secondary
Injury Survey
HOPS-
History/Observation/Palpation/Special
Tests
SOAPSubjective/Objective/Assessment/Plan
Levels of Evaluation
Secondary
Injury Survey
History-What
When,
happened?
who was involved?
Was a sound heard?
What factors influenced the injury?
Have you injured this part before?
Type of pain and level of pain?
Sensation?
Levels of Evaluation
Observation-expose
the injured
part as best possible. Compare
to uninjured side if possible.
What are you looking for?
Levels of Evaluation
Palpation-touching
during
evaluation to determine extent of
injury.
Start on uninjured side, or away
from painful area and work
toward pain
Levels of Evaluation
Special
Active
Ask
Tests
Range of Motion (AROM)
the athlete to move their part
through flexion, extension ect.
Levels of Evaluation
Special
Tests
Passive
Move
Range of Motion (PROM)
the athlete through motions after
asking the athlete to completely relax.
Note location and intensity of pain
Levels of Evaluation
Special
Tests
Resisted
Check
Range of Motion (RROM)
strength in an isometric way
Ask the athlete to hold your arm in that
position, don’t let me move it.
Check strength through the ROM if the
isometric tests are not excessively
painful.
Levels of Evaluation
Special
Tests
Stability-to
test the ligament laxity,
stabilize the proximal joint and move
the distal end. Feel for instability
compared to the uninjured side.
Levels of Evaluation
Special
Tests-each joint/muscle
has special tests that can be
used to check stability and
strength, these should be
performed as necessary.
Levels of Evaluation
Functional
Activity-if the athlete
passes all special tests, the
athlete can be evaluated for
return to play.
What would be some functional
tests for basketball, football?
Scenario #1
You are alone at a basketball game and a
player goes down on the court. He is not
getting up after a few minutes, you go on the
court, what do you do
-primary assessment-where, what r u looking 4
-secondary assessment-where, what do you
ask, ect
Scenario #2
You are in the training room and an athlete
comes in with knee pain.
Go through SOAP or HOPS and tell me what
information you are looking for.
Scenario #3



A player goes down on the football field. He
seems to not be moving from the sidelines.
When you get to him he is responsive to your
primary assessment questions. Which are?
What does your secondary assessment
consist of?