National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the NPTE with our exam quiz. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions to boost your confidence. Learn with detailed explanations and hints for each question. Get ready for success!

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A 12-year-old girl with structural idiopathic scoliosis shows a left thoracic curve. Which postural deviation is expected?

The body of the thoracic vertebrae rotated to the right
Spinous processes of thoracic spine rotated to the right
High right shoulder and a left hip that protrudes
Posteriorly protruding right scapulae with no gap between right arm and trunk

The correct answer is: Spinous processes of thoracic spine rotated to the right

The expected postural deviation in a case of left thoracic curve scoliosis is that the spinous processes of the thoracic spine will be rotated to the right. In idiopathic scoliosis, the vertebral bodies rotate towards the concave side of the curve (in this instance, the left) while the spinous processes rotate towards the convex side (to the right). This is due to the asymmetrical forces acting on the spine, where the muscles and ligaments facilitate this structural change. While other options depict variations that could be associated with scoliosis, they do not accurately represent the classic postural deviation associated with a left thoracic curve. For example, high shoulder and hip protrusions do not necessarily indicate the precise rotational dynamics at play in this specific curvature. Therefore, the accurate depiction is the rightward rotation of the spinous processes relative to the left thoracic curve, reflecting the underlying mechanics of scoliosis.