MSK Assessment Techniques Flashcards
Apley Scratch Test
patient touches the opposite scapula
Painful Arc
patient full adducts arm from 0 to 90
crossover exam
patient adducts the arm across the chest
Neer impingement
you press on the scapula while you raise the patient’s arm, causing compression of the greater tubersosity of the humerus against the acromion
Hawkins impingement
Flex patient’s shoulder and elbow at 90 with palm facing downward.
place one hand on the arm and rotate it internally
External rotation lag test
flex patient’s arm in 90 with palm up, rotate the arm into full external rotation
Drop arm test
ask the patient to fully abduct the arm to shoulder level, up to 90 and lower it slowly
Empty can test
elevate the arm to 90 and internally rotate the arms with the thumbs pointing down against resistance
Finkelstein test
ask the patient to grasp the thumb against the palm and then move the wrist toward midline in ulnar deviation
pain = de Quervain tenosynovitis
Tinel sign
tap lightly over the course of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel
Phalen sign
ask the patient to hold wrists in flexion at 90 with the elbows fully extended
or
press the backs of both hands together to form right angles
Adams test
ask the patient to bend forward to touch toes as you assess spinal curvature
this is the forward bend test
McMurray test
with the patient supine, grasp the heel and flex the knee. cup your other hand over the knee. from the heel, externally rotate the lower leg then push on the lateral side to apply valgus stress to the medial side of the join
click, pop, pain = tear of medial meniscus
Valgus stress test
with the patient supine, move the thigh about 30 laterally to the side of the table. place one hand against the lateral knee and the other around the medial ankle. push medially against the knee and pull laterally at the ankle
pain = MCL injury
Varus stress test
with the patient supine, move the thigh about 30 laterally to the side of the table. place one hand against the medial knee and the other around the lateral ankle. push laterally against the knee and pull medially at the ankle
pain = LCL injury
Anterior drawer test
with the patient supine, hip and knees flexed to 90 and feet flat on the table, cup your hands around the knee with the thumbs on the medial and lateral joint line and fingers on the medial and lateral insertions of the hamstrings.
DRAW THE TIBIA FORWARD and observe if it slides forward from under the femur
forward jerk = ACL tear
Lachman test
place the knee in at 15 of flexion and externally rotate. grasp the distal femur on the lateral side with one hand and the proximal tibia on the medial side with the other.
simultaneously pull the tibia forward and the femur back - pulling the tibia anteriorly relative to the femur
significant forward excursion = ACL tear
Posterior draw test
with the patient supine, hips and knees flexed to 90 and feet flat on the table, cup your hands around the knee with the thumbs on the medial and lateral joint line and fingers on the medial and lateral insertions of the hamstrings.
PUSH THE TIBIA POSTERIORLY and observe the degree of backward movement in the femur
if the proximal tibia falls back = PCL injury
