Knee Special Tests Flashcards
Collateral ligament instability tests - how to perform
pt is supine
Entire lower limb is supported and stabilized and knee is placed in 20-30 degrees of flexion
Valgus force placed for testing medial
Varus force placed for testing lateral
Lachman stress test - tests for what
ACL
Lachman stress test - how to perform
Pt supine with knee flexed 20-30
Stabilize femur and try to passively glide tibia ant
Pivot shift test - tests for
integrity of ACL
Pivot shift test - how to perform
Pt supine
Testing knee in ext, hip flexed and abd 30 degrees with slight IR
Hold knee with one hand and foot with the other hand
Place valgus force through knee and flex knee
Posterior sag test - tests for what
Integrity of PCL
Posterior sag test - how to perform
Pt supine
Testing hip flexed to 45 and knee to 90
Observe and see if tibia sags posteriorly
Posterior drawer test - tests for what
PCL
Posterior drawer test - how to perform
Pt supne
hip flexed 45, knee 90
Passively glide tibia posteriorly
Reverse Lachman - tests for what
PCL
Reverse Lachman - how to perform
Pt prone, knees flexed to 30
Stabilize femur and try to glide tibia post
McMurray’s test - tests for what
Meniscal tears
McMurray’s Test - how to perform
Pt supine
Testing knee in max flexion - passively IR and extend knee - lateral
medial - ER and ext
Apley test - tests for what
differentiate meniscal tear from ligamentous lesion
Apley test - how to perform
Pt prone
Testing knee flexed 90
Stabilize thigh - passively distract knee joint and slowly IR and ER tibia
Then apply compressive load to knee joint and again IR and ER
Apley test - findings
Pain or dec motion with compression - meniscal
Inc motion with distraction - ligamentous
Hughston’s plica test - tests for what
dysfunction of the plica
Hughston’s plica test - how to perform
Pt supine
Testing knee flexed with tibia IR
Passively glide patella medially while palpating medial femoral condyle
Feel for popping as you passively flex and extend the knee
Patellar apprehension test - tests for what
Past hx of dislocation
Patellar apprehension test - how to perform
Pt supine with patella passively glided laterally
Clarke’s sign - tests for what
Patellofemoral dysfunction
Clarke’s sign - how to perform
Pt supine with knee in extension resting on table
Push post on sup pole then ask them to contract quad
Ballotable patella (patellar tap test) - tests for what
Infrapatellar effusion
Ballotable patella (patellar tap test) - how to perform
Pt supine with knee in extension resting on table
Apply soft tap over central patella
Fluctuation test - tests for what
Knee joint effusion
Fluctuation test - how to perform
Pt supine
Knee in extension on table
Place one hand over suprapatellar pouch and other over anterior aspect of knee joint
Alternate pushing down with one hand at a time
Q angle measurement - measurement of angle between
quad mm and patellar tendon
Q angle - norm
13 for men
18 for women
Noble compression test - tests for what
Whether distal IT band friction syndrome is present
Noble compression test - how to perform
Pt supine with hip flexed 45 and knee to 90
Apply pressure to lateral femoral condyle and extend knee
Tinels sign - tests for what
Fibular nerve
Tinels sign - how to perform
Tap region where fibular nerve passes through posterior to fibular head
Wilson test - tests for what
Osteochondritis dissecans of medial femoral condyle
Wilson test - how to perform
Pt sitting on edge of table
Pt actively extends knee with medial rotation of tibia
Pos if pain present at 30 with IR but no pain at 30 with ER
