Clinical examination of the sprained knee

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. Patients with knee injuries may be consulted in a first stage by specialists, such as the sports doctor, and in a second stage, depending on the severity of the injury and the therapeutic orientation, it may be necessary to consult an orthopedic surgeon and / or medical rehabilitation. Aim. Particularly important in the traumatic pathology of the knee is the physical examination. It must be rigorous and systematic, because, based on it, a correct diagnosis can be established, which also assesses the severity of the lesions. Only in this way the optimal therapeutic decision be made in order to establish an accurate initial diagnosis and to evaluate the severity of the sprain, depending on which medical or orthopedic-surgical treatment is decided. Methods. Complete and accurate physical examination in the knee sprain, begins with a meticulous anamnestic interview, followed by inspection and palpation. The examination ends with a series of maneuvers to test the various potentially damaged structures of the knee. Results. All the listed elements will allow us to establish the therapeutic management in the recent sprain of the knee and to differentiate the affected structures: sprain with the interest of the collateral ligaments or with the damage of the central pivot, represented by the cruciate ligaments. Conclusion. Although with the advent of imaging investigations methods, which provide particularly important information and the diagnosis becomes much simplified, the stage of the physical examination of the patient in the knee sprain should not be omitted, it is an accessible and extremely useful tool in the orientation toward diagnosis.