Musculoskeletal system

The joint exam and the special tests of the hand, spine, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle.

17 pages

Syndrome

• Compartment syndrome: the early signsWhen pressure rises inside a group of muscles wrapped in fascia, the pain is huge and gets worse…

Maneuver

• FABER (Patrick) and FADIR testsTwo maneuvers with the leg bent in different positions to tell whether pain comes from the hip…
• Finkelstein testBending the thumb while the wrist tilts toward the little finger causes sharp pain at the edge…
• Knee effusion: patellar tap and bulge signTwo maneuvers to tell whether there is fluid inside the knee: the kneecap that bounces when…
• Lachman test and anterior drawerPulling the shin forward with the knee bent shows whether the anterior cruciate ligament is…
• Lasègue sign (straight leg raise) and Bragard signLifting the straight leg of a person lying down: pain that shoots down the back of the leg means…
• Meniscal tests: McMurray and ApleyBending and twisting the knee while feeling the joint line can produce a painful click when a…
• Ortolani and Barlow maneuversTwo gentle maneuvers on a newborn's hip: one puts a dislocated hip back in place (Ortolani) and…
• Phalen and Tinel signsTwo simple wrist maneuvers that bring on tingling in the fingers when the median nerve is…
• Shoulder tests: Neer, Hawkins, Jobe and drop armFour maneuvers that show whether shoulder pain comes from a tendon pinched under the acromion or…
• Spine examination: the Adams forward-bend test and Schober testBending forward reveals the rib hump of scoliosis (Adams), and measuring how much the low-back…
• Thompson testSqueezing the calf of a person lying face down should point the foot downward; if the foot does…

Sign

• Hand deformities: Heberden, Bouchard, swan neck, boutonnièreThe shape of the fingers tells which arthritis a person has: hard nodes in osteoarthritis and…
• Trendelenburg sign and gaitWhen a person stands on one leg and the hip on the other side drops, the gluteus medius of the…

Exam technique

• Inspection of gait and posture (orthopedic)Watching a person stand and walk shows a lot: limps from pain, weak muscles, unequal legs or a…
• Joint examination: inspection, palpation and range of motionLook at, feel and move each joint, always against the healthy side, to tell whether the problem…

Topic

• Ottawa ankle and knee rulesA few questions and spots to press help decide whether a twisted ankle or knee needs an X-ray

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← Clinical examination

Educational content on the clinical exam; it is learned and practised under supervision. It does not replace assessment by a health professional and is not for self-diagnosis.

Representative model, for educational purposes only.