Osteoblastoma: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

• General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
  • Inspection (viewing).
    • Skin and mucous membranes
    • Extremities:
      • [swelling?
      • Deformities of joints and bones?
      • Sensory disturbances?]
    • Spine, thorax (chest).
    • Gait pattern (fluid, limping)
    • Body or joint posture (upright, bent, gentle posture).
    • Malpositions (deformities, contractures, shortenings).
    • Joint (swelling (tumor), redness (rubor), hyperthermia (calor); injury indications such as hematoma formation, leg axis assessment)]
  • Measurement of joint mobility and range of motion of the joint (according to the neutral zero method: the range of motion is expressed as the maximum displacement of the joint from the neutral position in angular degrees, where the neutral position is designated as 0°. The starting position is the “neutral position”: the person stands upright with the arms hanging down and relaxed, the thumbs pointing forward and the feet parallel. The adjacent angles are defined as the zero position. Standard is that the value away from the body is given first). Comparative measurements with the contralateral joint (side comparison) can reveal even small lateral differences.
  • If necessary, special functional tests (differential diagnostic e.g. meniscus test).
  • Assessment of blood flow, motor function and sensitivity:
    • Circulation (palpation of pulses).
    • Motor function: testing of gross strength in lateral comparison.
    • Sensibility (neurological examination)
  • Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
  • Auscultation of the lungs
  • Palpation (palpation) of the painful area [pressure pain, pain on movement, pain at rest?]
  • Palpation of the abdomen (belly), etc.
• If necessary, orthopedic examination [due todifferential diagnoses:
  • Aneurysmal bone cyst (AKZ) – tumor-like osteolytic lesions (“bone resorption”) with dark red to brownish cavities up to 14 cm3 in size]

  [due topossible sequelae:

  • Restricted mobility
  • Incorrect load and joint misalignment, postural deformities (caused by the pain → avoidance behavior).
  • When osteoblastoma is located near joints or growth plates:
    • Osteoarthritis (joint wear and tear).
    • Scoliosis (lateral curvature of the body axis).
    • Growth disorders]
• Health check

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.