Anterior draw test of the knee Flashcards
(9 cards)
What does the anterior drawer test of the knee diagnose?
ligament integrity of the anterior
cruciate ligament of the knee
What’s the rationale behind the anterior drawer test of the knee?
By applying a PA force on the tibia, the ACL should resist the movement & you should feel a hard end point. If the ACL is ruptured, there will be more movement of the tibia & the end feel will be different.
What does a positive response suggest?
ACL rupture
Anterior draw test of the knee procedure
1) Explain & IC
2) Patient in long sitting - hips flexed to 40 & knee flexed to 80-90, foot flat on plinth
3) Physio stabilises foot by sitting on it, places hands around joint like with thumbs resting on patella tendon
4) Apply PA pressure, pulling tibia forward
5) This action can be done slowly as a glide or quickly as a jerk
6) Compare movement produced & end feel to other side
Positive result of anterior drawer test of the knee
A soft end feel to the anterior translation, or excessive anterior
translation compared to the non-affected knee,
Suggests ACL has been rupture
Negative result for anterior drawer test of the knee
Equal translation of the tibia from the non-affected knee to the affected knee, and a hard end feel to the anterior translation movement.
Result: there is a soft end feel after translation
What does this mean?
Possible ACL rupture
Result: there is excessive anterior translation in comparison to unaffected leg
What does this mean?
Possible ACL rupture
Why might this test not be accurate if there is a PCL injury present?
If the PCL is ruptured, then the tibia will slide posteriorly meaning that there will be excessive anterior translation when performing the PA glide, not caused by an ACL injury. To ensure a PCL rupture is not affecting the results of this test, complete a posterior sag sign prior to rule it out.
