Question

A physical therapist is documenting their findings after examining a 30-year-old traumatic brain injury patient. Decorticate rigidity was noted in the motor changes of the patient. Which of the following description best explains the documented terminology?

A. Flexion in all four limbs
B. Upper limbs in extension and the lower limbs in flexion
C. Upper limbs in flexion and the lower limbs in extension
D. Extension in all four limbs

Answer 1

Decorticate rigidity is characterized by upper limbs in flexion and lower limbs in extension, signaling a brain injury.

Step-by-step explanation:

Decorticate rigidity is a posturing that can occur in a patient with severe brain injury. Decorticate rigidity is a posturing that can occur in a patient with severe brain injury. The best description that explains 'decorticate rigidity' is that the patient exhibits upper limbs in flexion and the lower limbs in extension. This means that in decorticate rigidity, the upper limbs, including the arms, are bent upwards (flexion), and the wrists and fingers are bent and held on the chest, while the lower limbs are extended and internally rotated with the toes pointing downwards (extension).The best description that explains 'decorticate rigidity' is that the patient exhibits upper limbs in flexion and the lower limbs in extension. This means that in decorticate rigidity, the upper limbs, including the arms, are bent upwards (flexion), and the wrists and fingers are bent and held on the chest, while the lower limbs are extended and internally rotated with the toes pointing downwards (extension).