Saudi Board Part One Examination – Orthopedic Surgery: free practice test

Practice question Unit: Trauma

1. AHinged fixator

   A hinged external fixator is reserved for instability, not this stable simple dislocation.

2. BShort immobilisation then early active motion ✓ Correct answer

   Brief immobilisation followed by early active movement reduces post-dislocation elbow stiffness when stable.

3. CAbove-elbow cast for six weeks to allow ligament healing

   Six weeks of casting unnecessarily increases stiffness in a stable reduced elbow.

4. DLigament reconstruction

   Ligament reconstruction is not routinely required when the elbow remains stable after reduction.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Trauma; Rockwood and Green's Fractures in Adults, 9th ed., chapter: Elbow Dislocations

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Pediatric

1. AOrtolani test ✓ Correct answer

   Ortolani reduces a dislocated hip using abduction and gentle anterior lifting.

2. BBarlow test

   Barlow attempts to dislocate an unstable located hip rather than reduce a dislocated one.

3. CTrendelenburg test

   Trendelenburg assesses hip-abductor function in a standing patient, not neonatal hip reduction.

4. DGaleazzi sign

   Galeazzi compares knee heights to detect apparent femoral shortening, not reduction.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Pediatric; Lovell and Winter's Pediatric Orthopaedics, 8th ed., chapter: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Arthroplasty

1. AObturator nerve

   Obturator injury weakens thigh adduction, not the principal hip-abductor mechanism.

2. BSuperior gluteal nerve ✓ Correct answer

   The superior gluteal nerve supplies gluteus medius and minimus, whose weakness causes Trendelenburg gait.

3. CSciatic nerve

   Sciatic injury causes distal leg and foot deficits rather than isolated abductor weakness.

4. DFemoral nerve

   Femoral injury chiefly weakens knee extension through the quadriceps.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Arthroplasty; Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics, 14th ed., chapter: Arthroplasty of the Hip

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Sport Medicine

1. AMcMurray

   McMurray primarily assesses a meniscal tear, not ACL integrity.

2. BValgus stress

   Valgus stress mainly assesses the medial collateral ligament.

3. CPosterior drawer test performed at 90 degrees of flexion

   The posterior drawer test evaluates the posterior cruciate ligament.

4. DLachman test ✓ Correct answer

   Lachman assesses anterior tibial translation at about 20–30° flexion and is sensitive for ACL rupture.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Sport Medicine; Miller's Review of Orthopaedics, 8th ed., chapter: Sports Medicine

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Upper Limb

1. ASuperficial radial nerve

   The superficial radial nerve is not the motor branch crossing the radial side of the carpal tunnel.

2. BRecurrent motor branch of median nerve ✓ Correct answer

   The recurrent median motor branch turns toward the thenar muscles and may be injured by a radial incision.

3. CAIN

   The anterior interosseous nerve branches more proximally in the forearm.

4. DDorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve over the ulnar styloid

   The dorsal ulnar sensory branch lies on the ulnar side, away from this radial incision.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Upper Limb; Green's Operative Hand Surgery, 8th ed., chapter: Compression Neuropathies

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Oncology

1. AA calcified cartilage cap

   A cartilage cap is more characteristic of an osteochondroma than diffuse TGCT.

2. BSignal matching subcutaneous fat

   Fat signal points to a fatty lesion, not haemosiderin-rich diffuse TGCT.

3. CFluid–fluid levels in a bone cyst

   Fluid–fluid levels suggest a haemorrhagic cystic lesion such as an aneurysmal bone cyst.

4. DLow signal with susceptibility blooming from haemosiderin ✓ Correct answer

   Haemosiderin deposition produces low signal and susceptibility blooming, particularly on gradient-echo sequences.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Oncology; Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics, 14th ed., chapter: Soft-Tissue Tumours

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Foot and Ankle

1. AOsteochondral lesion of the talus

   A talar osteochondral lesion causes deep joint pain or catching, not tendon snapping behind the lateral malleolus.

2. BAchilles tendon rupture

   Achilles rupture causes weakness of plantarflexion rather than recurrent retromalleolar snapping.

3. CPosterior tibial tendon dysfunction

   Posterior tibial tendon problems usually cause medial symptoms and progressive flatfoot.

4. DPeroneal tendon subluxation from superior retinaculum injury ✓ Correct answer

   Superior peroneal retinaculum disruption allows the peroneal tendons to slip from their retromalleolar groove.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Foot and Ankle; Mann's Surgery of the Foot and Ankle, 10th ed., chapter: Peroneal Tendon Disorders

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Spine

1. ASaddle anaesthesia with urinary retention ✓ Correct answer

   New saddle sensory loss with urinary retention suggests cauda equina compression and needs emergency assessment.

2. BBack stiffness

   Back stiffness alone is nonspecific and does not demonstrate sacral nerve dysfunction.

3. CUnilateral leg pain worse on coughing without neurological deficit

   Unilateral radicular pain without neurological deficit is not the characteristic sacral red-flag combination.

4. DMuscle spasm

   Muscle spasm alone does not establish cauda equina compression.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Spine; GIRFT National Suspected Cauda Equina Pathway, 2023

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Other MSK Disorders

1. ARest

   Rest can help reduce discomfort during an acute attack.

2. BIce

   Ice can provide adjunctive symptomatic relief during a flare.

3. CStopping allopurinol during the flare ✓ Correct answer

   Established allopurinol is generally continued; stopping urate-lowering therapy is not routine flare management.

4. DNSAIDs, colchicine or corticosteroids for the acute attack

   NSAIDs, colchicine or corticosteroids are accepted anti-inflammatory treatments, chosen for individual contraindications.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Other MSK Disorders; ACR Gout Guideline, 2020

Ask a friend

Practice question Unit: Principle of Surgery

1. AHead tilt–chin lift with neck extension

   Head tilt extends the neck and is avoided initially when cervical injury is suspected.

2. BBlind nasal tube

   Blind nasal intubation is not an initial manual airway-opening manoeuvre.

3. CJaw thrust ✓ Correct answer

   Jaw thrust advances the mandible without deliberately extending the neck.

4. DTracheostomy

   Tracheostomy is an invasive airway procedure, not the first manual manoeuvre.

Reference: SCFHS Saudi Board Part One Blueprint – Orthopedic Surgery (2024–27), section: Principle of Surgery; ATLS 10th ed., chapter: Airway and Ventilatory Management

Ask a friend