Physical Examination of Overuse/ Chronic Knee Conditions Flashcards
What is the order of the P/E for knee conditions?
- observation
- Fx tests
- palpation
- active movements
- passive physiological movements
- passive accessory movements
- special tests
- other jt assessment
- neurodynamic tests
What do you observe with knee conditions? (3)
- standing
- gait
- supine
What functional tests can you do for the knee?
- squat (DL & SL)
- lunge
- jump/hop
- stairs
- running
- drop down
What to palpate with the knee?
- Patella: med and lat facets
- Med and Lat retinaculum
- patella tendon (prox, mid, belly, distal)
- quadriceps tendon
- Hoffas fat pads
- lat femoral condyle
- superior tib-fib jt
- biceps tendon
- med and lat TF lines
What active movements are done with knee conditions?
- knee flexion
- knee extension
- repeated knee flexion
- muscle length testing of quads, hammys, gastrocnemius and soleus
What passive physiological movements are used for knee conditions?
- knee flexion
- knee extension
- tibial IR/ ER
- hip all ranges
- Lsp all ranges
Passive accessory movements for knee conditions?
- PF jt: med and lat glides
- PF jt: ceph and caud glides
- TF jt: AP/ PA glides
- TF jt: med/lat glides
- sup tib-fib jt: AP/PA glides
What special tests for the knee
- knee examination as per acute knee lecture
- over pressure +/- knee flex/ect
- McConnell resisted ext test
Other jt assessments (clearing)
- examination of lumbar spine
- examination of hip jt
- examination of ankle jt
Neurodynamic tests for knee conditions
- SLR
- slump test
- prone knee bend
- neural thomas test
ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN
What are the most common anterior knee pain conditions? (2)
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
- Patellar tendinopathy
What are the less common anterior knee pain conditions (3)?
- Hoffas Fat Pad impingement
- Sinding - Larsen - Johansen lesion in adolescents
- Osgood- Schlatter lesion in adolescents
What are the conditions NOT TO BE MISSED in anterior knee pain (3)?
- osteochondritis dessicans
- slipped capital femoral epiphysis
- perthes’ disease
Definition of PFPS:
all peripatellar / retropatellar pain in the absence of other pathologies (no mensical/ ACL etc.)
What are some synonyms for PFPS?
- PFJP (patellofemoral joint pain)
- PFPS
- anterior/ retropatellar pain
- chondromalacia patellae (death of patella cartilage)
Chondromalacia Patellae
refers to the state of the patellar articular cartilage –> poor correlation between articular cartilage damage and PFP
What can a cartilage lesion lead to?
chemical/ mechanical synovial irritation, oedema / erosion which contain nociceptors –> = pain
What else could PFP be due to?
patella maltracking
What is patella maltracking due to?
VL & VMO imbalance
ITB tightness
What type of factors contribute to PFPS?
extrinsic & intrinsic risk factors
What is the definition of extrinsic risk factors?
increased/ unaccustomed PFJ load
extrinsic risk factors e.g.s
body mass, surfaces, footwear, volume of work, increase in amount of knee flexion required for task, eccentric work
What do intrinsic risk factors refer to?
patella alignment in femoral trochlea (patella tracking)
Local factors relating to patella tracking (intrinsic risk factors) (2)
- patella position
- quadriceps (strength/ imbalance)