Orthopedic Diagnosis: Lower Extremities Flashcards
Morton Test
- Positive: Sharp pain in the forefoot
- Indicates: Metatarsalgia or neuroma (usually at the 3rd or 4th metatarsal interspace)
Iliac Compression Test
- Positive: Pain in either sacroiliac joint
- Indicates: Sacroiliac joint lesion
Apley Compression Test
- Positive: Patient points to side of pain
- Indicates: Pain on the medial side is medial meniscus tear. Pain on the lateral side indicates lateral meniscus tear
Femoral Nerve Traction Test
- Positive: Pain on the anterior portion of the thigh
- Indicates: Traction on the femoral nerve indicating involvement of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lumbar nerve roots
Thompson Test
- Positive: Absence of foot plantarflexion motion
- Indicates: Achilles tendon rupture
Hibb Test
- Pain in the hip region
- Indicates: Hip joint pathology
- Pain in the buttock/pelvic region
- Sacroiliac joint lesion
O’Donoghue Maneuver of the Hip and Pelvis
- Hip Flexion
- Hip Extension
- Hip Abduction
- Hip Adduction
- Hip Internal Rotation
- Hip External Rotation
- Positive: Pain during passive range of motion
- Indicates: Ligamentous sprain (passive range of motion stresses ligaments)
- Positive: Pain during resisted range of motion
- Indicates: Muscle/tendon strain (active range of motion stresses muscles and tendons)
Bounce Home Test
- Positive: Knee does not go into full extension (slight flexion remains)
- Indicates: Diffuse swelling of the knee, accumulation of fluid due to possible torn meniscus
Thomas Test
- Positive: Lumbar spine maintains lordosis (should flatten) and hip or leg flexes
- Indicates: Contracture of the hip flexors (iliopsoas)
Ely Sign
- Positive: Hip on side being tested will flex causing the buttock to raise off the table
- Indicates: Rectus femoris or hip flexor contracture
Femoral Stretch Test
- Positive: Pain on the anterior portion of the thigh
- Indicates: Traction on the femoral nerve indicating involvement of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lumbar nerve roots
Drawer Test
- Positive: Gapping > 6mm (tibia moves posterior) when the leg is pushed
- Indicates: Torn posterior cruciate ligament
- Positive: Gapping > 6mm (tibia moves anterior) when the leg is pulled
- Indicates: Torn anterior cruciate ligament
Mazion Pelvic Maneuver
Positive: The inability to bend at the waist more than 45°, because of either/or:
- Radiating pain along the sciatic nerve, either unilateral or bilateral
- Indicates: Sciatic neuralgia or radiculopathy, etc., possibly due to lumbar disc pathology
- Low back pain (lumbar or pelvic regions)
- Indicates: Anterior (rotational) displacement of the ilium relative to the sacrum
Medial Collateral Ligament Test
(Knee)
- Positive: Gapping and/or elicited pain above/at or below joint line
- Indicates: Tear and/or instability of the medial collateral ligament
Apprehension Test for the Patella
- Positive: Apprehension, distress of facial expression, contraction of quadriceps to bring patella back in line
- Indicates: Chronic patella dislocation or pre-disposition to dislocation
Ely Heel to Buttock Test
- Positive: Inability to raise the thigh
- Indicates: Iliopsoas spasm
- Positive: Pain in the anterior thigh
- Indicates: Inflammation of the lumbar nerve roots
- Positive: Pain in the lumbar region
- Lumbar nerve root adhesions
Drawer Sign
Positive: Translation with the talus moving away from or toward the tibia
- With tibia pushed/foot pulled
- Indicates: A tear/instability of the anterior talofibular ligament
- With tibia pulled/foot pushed
- Indicates: A tear/instability of posterior talofibular ligament
Fajersztajn Test
- Positive: Pain down affected leg (Cross-Over Sign)
- Indicates: Medial disc protrusion
- Positive: Decrease in pain down affected leg
- Indicates: Lateral disc protrusion
Patella Ballottment Test
- Positive: A floating sensation of the patella
- Indicates: A large amount of swelling in the knee
Bonnet Sign
- Positive: Pain in the posterior thigh or leg
- Indicates: Immediate pain is sciatic neuropathy from piriformis syndrome
Laguerre Test
- Positive: Pain in the hip joint
- Indicates: Hip joint pathology
- Positive: Pain in the sacroiliac joint
- Indicates: Mechanical problem of the sacroiliac joint
Gaenslen Test
- Positive: Pain on the affected sacroiliac joint stressed into extension
- Indicates: General sacroiliac joint lesion, anterior sacroiliac ligament sprain, or inflammation of the sacroiliac joint
Trendelenburg Test
- Positive: High iliac crest on supported side and low crest on side of elevated leg
- Indicates: Weak gluteus medius muscle on the supported side
Lindner Sign
- Positive: Pain along sciatic distribution or sharp, diffuse leg pain
- Indicates: Sciatic radiculopathy
Abduction Stress Test
(Knee)
- Positive: Gapping and/or elicited pain above/at or below joint line
- Indicates: Tear and/or instability of the medial collateral ligament
Patella Femoral Grinding Test
- Positive: Retropatellar pain and the patient is unable to hold the quadriceps contraction
- Indicates: Degenerative changes of the patellar facets and/or within the trochlear groove (chondromalacia patella)
Bragard Sign
- Positive: Radiating pain in posterior thigh
- Indicates: Sciatic radiculopathy
Pelvic Rock Test
- Positive: Pain in either sacroiliac joint
- Indicates: Sacroiliac joint lesion
McMurray Sign
- Positive: Clicking sound or pain by knee joint
- Indicates: Tear of medial meniscus if positive on external rotation. Tear of the lateral meniscus on internal rotation. The higher the leg is raised during extension when positive is elicited, the more posterior the meniscal injury
Anterior Drawer Sign of the Ankle
Positive: Translation with the talus moving away from or toward the tibia
- With tibia pushed/foot pulled
- Indicates: A tear/instability of the anterior talofibular ligament
- With tibia pulled/foot pushed
- Indicates: A tear/instability of posterior talofibular ligament
SLR
- Positive: Radiating pain and/or dull posterior thigh pain
- Indicates: Sciatic radiculopathy or tight hamstrings. Positive between 35-70° = possible discogenic sciatic radiculopathy. Positive greater than 70° = tight hamstrings