Which of the following describes a TART finding?

• A. Temperature change
• B. Range of motion
• C. Tenderness
• D. Edema

Answer: (C)

In palpation-based assessment, TART includes tenderness, asymmetry, range of motion, and tissue texture abnormality. The most direct finding you document from palpation is tenderness—the painful response you observe when touching the tissue. This nociceptive reaction is a classic sign surgeons and clinicians look for in regions of somatic dysfunction.

Temperature change isn’t a TART item, and edema isn’t one of the four defined signs—though swelling can accompany issues, it isn’t the TART category by itself. Range of motion is part of the TART framework, but the question focuses on a single palpable finding, and tenderness is the most straightforward and characteristic descriptor in this context.