The nurse assessing the patient's muscle strength and finds that the patient has full resistance to opposition. How would this finding be documented using the muscle strength grading scale?

On the standard 0–5 muscle strength grading scale, a score of 5/5 (Normal) means the patient can move the limb through its full range of motion and can fully resist the examiner's opposition. A score of 4/5 (Good) indicates the patient can move against some resistance but not full resistance. A score of 3/5 (Fair) means the patient can move against gravity but not against any added resistance. A score of 2/5 (Poor) means the patient can move only with gravity eliminated, and 1/5 or 0/5 indicate trace or absent muscle activity. The stem states the patient has 'full resistance to opposition,' which by definition corresponds to 5/5, Normal. The keyed answer of 2/5 (Poor) is incorrect because that grade indicates movement only when gravity is eliminated — the exact opposite of full resistance. Therefore the correct answer is Normal 5/5. Choosing 'Good or 4/5' would be incorrect because that grade implies partial but not full resistance, and 'Fair or 3/5' would represent movement against gravity only without any resistance to opposition.