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One of the first assessments we do in the evaluation of a patient is to assess their amount of hyperextension. It is important to have the patient relaxed while performing this assessment. In general, we lift the ankle or […]
It is very important to assess a patient’s knee range of motion to determine if there is any mechanical block, lack of motion due to arthritis or previous surgery, or increased motion due to a ligament injury. While doing this, it is ideal to compare it to a patient’s normal contralateral knee. Limitation of knee […]
Common Peroneal Nerve Palpation (click to enlarge)
One of the key points of a physical exam is to determine the exact location of a patient’s pain so one can correlate it to the history and specific anatomic parts. This helps to localize […]
One of the first things a physician does is to inspect the knee. Abrasions, lacerations, previous scars, swelling or prominences are important to evaluate. Swelling around the knee can be either due to causes outside the knee (extraarticular) or causes from inside the knee (intraarticular). In most circumstances, a physical exam can determine whether the swelling […]
It is very important to understand a patient’s history prior to performing a clinical exam. In fact, it is generally felt approximately 85% of the time that one can arrive at a working diagnosis for a knee pathology based on the history alone. The physical exam can then be more focused to confirm or […]
Platelet rich plasma, commonly called PRP, has been promoted widely as a potential treatment for helping injured musculoskeletal tissues to heal. Platelet rich plasma contains high concentrations of several growth factors. The alpha granules that are present in platelets are full of these growth factors. Platelet rich plasma has been used worldwide for multiple indications […]
Patients who have patellofemoral instability or patellofemoral arthritis that is localized to certain portions of the patellofemoral joint (kneecap), may be candidates for a tibial tubercle osteotomy. In this circumstance, the tibial tubercle is either elevated or moved distally (away from the center) and elevated to try to restore a more […]
A trochleoplasty is a rare procedure that is performed in patients that have type B or type D trochlear dysplasia. In these patients, the trochlea can be either flat or dome shaped, which results in severe instability of the patellofemoral joint.
A lateral patellotibial ligament reconstruction is performed for patients to undo the symptoms of medial patella instability after a lateral release. In those circumstances, the patients commonly have symptomatic medial patellar instability. A thorough clinical exam, as well as the use of reverse McConnell taping, can commonly help to decide […]
Patellofemoral joint injuries are common musculoskeletal issues that can affect individuals of all ages. They represent the most diagnosed injuries among sports medicine specialists and can result from a myriad of causes—most common are sports related activities, overuse, and trauma to the kneecap.
