Physical Examination
Knee pain physical examination includes inspection, palpation, and different maneuvers to assess knee function. Doctors will start their examination with inspection, and they can do this as soon as you enter the office. It includes being aware of the joint proportion and gross anatomy, whether you have bruises or any signs of problems visible from the outside.
The next step is palpation. Palpation is a knee evaluation method by pressing on the joints. This helps doctors determine if the pain is due to joint or muscle problems. They will perform palpation to determine the amount of pain you feel in your knee and where it’s located. It is also essential to assess the seriousness of the problem.
The next step is to use maneuvers and tests to assess knee function. They include:
- Range of motion tests: The first thing doctors will test with maneuvers is the range of motion. This is how well your knee moves without experiencing too much pain. Range of motion tests evaluates your capacity to flex and extend the knee. The normal range is flexion of 135º and an extension of 0 to -10º
- Neurovascular examination of the knee: In these tests, doctors will evaluate the nervous components of the leg and the knee to see if nerve pinching problems or similar issues trigger your symptoms. Your deep tendon reflexes will be examined, even if they are not directly related to the knee. But they provide a clue as to what the problem is.
- Anterior drawer test: This is useful for detecting an anterior cruciate ligament tear. The doctor will ask you to lie down on the examination table and flex your knee. They will sit on your foot, press your knee towards your body, and then away from you. This is useful to determine if the is any slipping when the knee is subject to loads.