Knee Ligament Tests

Excerpt

It is little wonder that the casual reader of knee orthopedic articles is left somewhat bewildered about ligament function and the clinical laxity tests used in assessing knee stability. In the past there has been wide disagreement about these issues among many knowledgeable knee surgeons. Newer clinical and biomechanical information has helped to clear up some important areas of disagreement, but correct diagnosis of knee instability is not a simple matter. Knee examinations must be very precise and meticulous to diagnose the straight and rotatory laxities. Some laxities are obscured and others are very straightforward. Still, there are practical biomechanical concepts that govern the successful interpretation of clinical laxity tests. This paper describes two of these concepts that are common to all laxity tests. Once recognized, the concepts clarify much prior confusion and help the examiner correctly interpret results of the laxity examinations.