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Clinical Assessment in Physiotherapy of the Locomotor System

Code: 102985 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Physiotherapy OB 2

Contact

Name:
Hector Corominas Macias
Email:
hector.corominas@uab.cat

Teachers

Carlos Lopez Perez
Patricia Moya Alvarado

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

It is necessary that the student has acquired the knowledge and basic competences of the subjects of Human Anatomy and Biomechanics, taught in first.

It is also convenient to have acquired the knowledge and basic competences in the subject of Human Psychology.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The general objectives of the subject include the evaluation of the locomotor system from the clinical data obtained from the anamnesis, inspection and physical examination, based on the definition of normality or abnormality parameters, which allow to elaborate a first diagnostic approach and a therapeutic orientation.

The entire subject takes into account the gender perspective and the use of non-sexist language.


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse and synthesise.
  • Apply quality-assurance mechanisms in physiotherapy practice, in accordance with the recognised and validated criteria.
  • Design the physiotherapy intervention plan in accordance with the criteria of appropriateness, validity and efficiency.
  • Display critical reasoning skills.
  • Display knowledge of the morphology, physiology, pathology and conduct of both healthy and sick people, in the natural and social environment.
  • Display knowledge of the physiotherapy methods, procedures and interventions in clinical therapeutics.
  • Evaluate the functional state of the patient, considering the physical, psychological and social aspects.
  • Express ideas fluently, coherently and correctly, both orally and in writing.
  • Integrate, through clinical experience, the ethical and professional values, knowledge, skills and attitudes of physiotherapy, in order to resolve specific clinical cases in the hospital and non-hospital environments, and primary and community care.
  • Make a physiotherapy diagnosis applying internationally recognised norms and validation instruments.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Make the most correct decisions in given situations.
  • Organise and plan.
  • Participate in drawing up physiotherapy protocols on the basis of scientific evidence, and promote professional activities that facilitate physiotherapy research.
  • Solve problems.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Analyse and synthesise.
  3. Apply physiotherapy methods, procedures and interventions in the different clinical specialisations that treat conditions of the musculoskeletal system.
  4. Apply specific physiotherapy methods to promote a healthy lifestyle, in relation to the musculoskeletal system, through health education.
  5. Communicate using language that is not sexist.
  6. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  7. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  8. Define general and specific objectives when using physiotherapy treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  9. Describe and analyse human movement.
  10. Describe and analyse the evidence-based physiotherapy protocols for disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  11. Describe and apply advanced evaluation procedures in physiotherapy in order to determine the degree of damage to the musculoskeletal system and possible functional repercussions.
  12. Describe clinical practice guidelines applied to disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  13. Describe the circumstances that can influence priorities when using physiotherapy to treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  14. Display critical reasoning skills.
  15. Enumerate the different types of of material and apparatus for using physiotherapy to treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  16. Establish diagnostic physiotherapy hypotheses through clinical cases with disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  17. Express ideas fluently, coherently and correctly, both orally and in writing.
  18. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  19. Identify the physiological and structural changes that may occur as a result of physiotherapy intervention in disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  20. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality present in society.
  21. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one?s own area of knowledge.
  22. Locate the different muscles through surface palpation.
  23. Make the most correct decisions in given situations.
  24. Organise and plan.
  25. Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
  26. Propose new ways to measure success or failure when implementing innovative proposals or ideas.
  27. Solve problems.
  28. Use physiotherapy to treat clinical cases involving musculoskeletal system conditions.
  29. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  30. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of suggestions for improvement: one's own and those of others.

Content

To be confirmed


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
CLASSROOM PRACTICES 9 0.36 7, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 21, 20, 18, 24, 30, 23, 25, 26, 14, 28, 27, 6, 29
Guided activity 0.5 0.02
PLABs 10 0.4 7, 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 16, 19, 21, 20, 18, 22, 30, 25, 26, 28, 6, 29
THEORY 26 1.04 7, 1, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 12, 16, 19, 21, 20, 18, 22, 30, 25, 26, 28, 6, 29
Type: Autonomous      
PERSONAL STUDY 19 0.76 7, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 12, 15, 16, 19, 21, 20, 18, 22, 30, 25, 26, 28, 6, 29
READING ARTICLES 30 1.2 7, 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19, 21, 20, 18, 30, 25, 26, 28, 6, 29
READING ARTICLES /REPORTS OF INTEREST 50 2 7, 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 20, 18, 24, 30, 25, 26, 14, 28, 27, 6, 29

 

1. The theoretical classes will be face-to-face and the following work methodology is proposed: duration 2 hours with a mixed format of theory, resolution of doubts, kahoots and clinical cases.

 

2. The practices, will be given by the physiotherapist Carlos López and will develop in the classrooms of practices, in accordance with the established calendar and the measures of hygiene imposed by the University in relation to the covid19

It should be remembered that this guide may be subject to change after publication, depending on the events related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Practical type evaluation through objective and structured clinical evaluation 40% 4.42 0.18 7, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 12, 15, 16, 19, 21, 20, 18, 22, 24, 30, 23, 25, 26, 28, 27, 6, 29
Written evaluation through objective tests: clinical cases 60% 1.08 0.04 7, 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 20, 18, 22, 24, 30, 25, 26, 14, 28, 27, 6, 29

Single assessment

This subject does not provide for the single assessment system.

Assessment:

The exam will be divided into two tests:

Written test: 50 questions that can be multiple-choice, clinical cases and/or image tests.

Practical exam: It consists of (1) case evaluation simulation where the student must demonstrate communication skills with the patient, clinical reasoning, selection of appropriate objective maneuvers and execution of the same.

 

The maximum scores that can be obtained from each exam are:

Written test – 6 points

Practical exam – 4 points

 

The final grade for the subject will be the sum of the grades of each exam (written + practical).

In order to add up the scores, it is necessary to achieve at least 40% of the final grade of the written test and at least 50% of the practical part.

If this minimum is not achieved in either of the two tests, the summation will not be made and the subject will be recorded as failed.

The subject will be considered passed with a score equal to or greater than 5 points and failed with a score equal to or less than 4.9 points.

Students who have not passed the subject may take a retake test, which will be held on the official date of the corresponding month.

Students who have not taken either of the two evaluation tests will not be entitled to the retake test.

Students who have failed (final score equal to or less than 4.9) must only take the failed part (theoretical and/or practical).

 

In this case, there will only be two possible grades, which will be recorded in the final report:

 

– Passed (equal to or greater than 5 points)

– Failed (equal to or less than 4.9 points).


Bibliography

1- EXPLORACIÓN CLÍNICA PRÁCTICA. Noguer-Balcells. 28 edd. Elsevier. 2016

2-  FISIOTERAPIA DEL APARATO LOCOMOTOR. Estructuras, funciones, medidas de actuación sobre afecciones. Editorial Ploke-Reichel. 2007

3-  EVOLUCIÓN HUMANA. Roger Lewin. Salvat-Editores 2000.  

4-  EXPLORACIÓN FÍSICA DE LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL Y LAS EXTREMIDADES. Stanley Hoppenfeld. 1979

5-  DIAGNOSTICO FISOTERÁPICO. CONCEPCIÓN, REALIZACIÓN, APLICACIÓN EN LA PRÁCTICA LIBRE Y HOSPITALARIA.  Éric Viel. ED. Masson- 2006

6-  TÉCNICAS DE BALANCE MUSCULAR. Daniel's y Wothingham  Ed. Elsevier. 2014

7-  PRUEBAS CLINICAS PARA PATOLOGIA OSEA, ARTICULAR Y MUSCULAR. K.Buckup. ED. Masson. 2013

8- PROCESO EVALUATIVO MUSCULOESQUELÉTICO. Hazel M.Clarkson. Ed.  Paidotribo. 2003

9.- THE MUSCLE AND BONE PALPATION MANUAL. Joseph E. Muscolino. Mosby Elsevier 2008

10.- MANUAL DE PRUEBAS DIAGNÓSTICAS. TRAUMATOLOGÍA Y ORTOPEDIA. A.Jurado Bueno, Ivan Medina Porqueres Ed Paidotribo- 2002.  

11.- EXPLORACIÓN Y EVALUACIÓN NEUROMUSCULOESQUELÉTICA. UN MANUAL PARA TERAPEUTAS. Nicola J.Petty, Ann P. Moore. Ed. Mc Graw-Hill-Interamericana. 2003

12. KENDALL’S. MUSCULOS, PRUEBAS, FUNCIONES Y DOLOR POSTURAL. Florence Peterson Kendall, Elizabeth Kendall McCreary, Patricia Geise Provance. Edit. . Marban. 5 ed. 2008

13. ATLAS DE ANATOMIA PALPATORIA. Serge Tixá ( tomus 1 i 2)   Ed Elsevier( 3ed) . Barcelona 2014

webbs of interest

 www.efisioterapia.net

www.fisonet.net

www.aefi.net

www.scfisioterapia.cat


Software

There is no need for a specific program for the subject

In the case of virtual classes, the TEAMS application will be used, like last year.

Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 201 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 202 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 201 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 202 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 203 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 204 Catalan first semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 201 Catalan first semester afternoon