Question

The nurse asks the patient to spread his fingers and then bring them together again. Which of the following is the nurse testing when asking to bring his fingers together?

1) Abduction
2) Adduction
3) Flexion
4) Extension

Answer 1

The nurse is testing adduction when she asks the patient to bring his fingers together. This action evaluates the movement of the fingers toward the midline of the body, which is essential for assessing joint and muscle function.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the nurse asks a patient to spread his fingers and then bring them together again, she is assessing the action of adduction. This term refers to the movement in the coronal plane that brings limbs, fingers, or toes medially toward or across the body's midline. For fingers, spreading them apart is known as abduction, which is the opposite of adduction. After spreading the fingers, bringing them back together is specifically called adduction. Therefore, the correct answer is adduction. These movements are vital for evaluating the function of synovial joints such as those in the hand, and they help in determining muscle strength as well as joint health in patients.