Testing joints of the lower limb and their movement

Question 1

What movements are possible at the hip joint?

Answer 1

Flexion
Extension
Abduction
Adduction
Circumduction

Question 2

What movements are possible at the knee joint?

Answer 2

Flexion
Extension
Limited rotation

Question 3

What movements are possible at the ankle joint?

Answer 3

Dorsiflexion

Plantar flexion

Question 4

What movements are possible at the talo-calcaneo-navicular joints?

Answer 4

Inversion and eversion of the foot.

Question 5

How is flexion of the hip joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 5

Ask the standing patient to raise each leg forward in front of them, keeping it completely straight.
L2 and L3.

Question 6

How is extension of the hip joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 6

Ask the standing patient to raise each leg behind them, keeping it completely straight.
L4 and L5.

Question 7

How is extension at the knee joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 7

Ask the patient to completely straighten each knee from a flexed (bent) position.
L3 and L4.

Question 8

How is flexion at the knee joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 8

Ask the patient to bend each knee.

L5 and S1.

Question 9

How is dorsiflexion of the ankle joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 9

Ask the patient to point their toes towards the ceiling.

L4 and L5.

Question 10

How is plantar flexion of the ankle joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 10

Ask the patient to point their toes away from them as if on tip-toes.
S1 and S2.

Question 11

How is abduction of the hip joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 11

Ask the standing patient to raise each leg out to their side while keeping it straight.
L5 and S1.

Question 12

How is adduction of the hip joint tested, and what are the spinal nerve roots involved?

Answer 12

Ask the patient to bring each leg in towards the midline from abduction (out to the side) while keeping it straight.
L1-4.

Question 13

What is circumduction of the lower limb at the hip joint?

Answer 13

A combination of flexion/extension and abduction/adduction so that the distal part moves in a circle.

Question 14

What is eversion of the foot at the subtalar and transverse tarsal joints?

Answer 14

Moving the sole of the foot away from the median plane, i.e. facing laterally.

Question 15

What is inversion of the foot at the subtalar and transverse tarsal joints?

Answer 15

Moving the sole of the foot towards the median plane, i.e. facing medially.

Question 16

What is flexion?

Answer 16

Bending or decreasing the angle between bones or parts of the body.

Question 17

What is extension?

Answer 17

Straightening or increasing the angle between bone or parts of the body.

Question 18

What is abduction?

Answer 18

Moving the distal part away from the midline in the coronal plane.

Question 19

What is adduction?

Answer 19

Moving the distal part towards the midline in the coronal plane.

Question 20

What is internal rotation?

Answer 20

Bringing the anterior surface of a body part closer to the midline.

Question 21

What is external rotation?

Answer 21

Taking the anterior surface of a body part away from the midline.