Knee Examination

Excerpt

Effective management and rehabilitation of the knee begins with a detailed history and a thorough, systematic examination. The examination format presented here has been proven to be effective in our respective facilities. This comprehensive and thorough examination can be used in totality or modified to fit the needs of the individual patient or clinician.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

A thorough knowledge of knee anatomy, biomechanics, and arthrokinematics is necessary for meaningful examination of the knee. Furthermore, a general understanding of the mechanisms of common injuries (refer to the article on mechanisms of injuries in this issue) will facilitate the clinician's interpretation of examination results.

For the tester to isolate each anatomical structure, the examination should be performed systematically. This isolation process will allow the identification of the involved structures as well as the severity of involvement.