Knee Joint examintaion

1. Pivot shift test

• The patient's foot is wedged between the examiner's body and elbow.
• The examiner places one hand flat under the tibia pushing it forward with the knee in extension.
• The other hand is placed against the patient's thigh pushing it the other way.
• The lower limb is taken into slight abduction by the examiner's elbow with the examiner's body acting as a fulcrum to produce the valgus.
• Th examiner maintains the anterior tibial translation and the valgus and initiates flexion of the patient's knee.
• At about 20-30 degree, the pivot shift will occur as the lateral tibial plateau reduces

2. Posterior drawer test

• It is positive when the proximal head of a patient's tibia can be pushed posteriorly on the femur.
• The patient is placed in a supine position and the knee is flexed to approximately 90 degree with the foot in the neutral position.
• The examiner sits gently on the patient's foot placing both thumbs on the tibial tuberosity and pushing the tibia backward.
• If the tibia plateau moves, the posterior cruciate ligament is torn.