Which test is used to elicit a click or joint line pain indicating meniscal pathology?

Which test is used to elicit a click or joint line pain indicating meniscal pathology?

• A. Posterior drawer test
• B. McMurray's test
• C. Valgus stress test
• D. Varus stress test

Answer: (B)

Eliciting a click or joint line pain points to a problem inside the meniscus. McMurray's test does exactly that by moving the knee through flexion and extension while rotating the tibia, which stresses and traps the meniscal tissue between the femur and tibia. If a tear is present, a fragment can pinch or snap as it passes the condyles, producing a palpable or audible click along the joint line and corresponding pain. Medial meniscus testing uses external rotation of the tibia with extension to provoke the tear, while lateral meniscus testing uses internal rotation. In contrast, tests like the posterior drawer check the posterior cruciate ligament, and valgus/varus stress tests assess the collateral ligaments, not the meniscus. So the maneuver that best reveals meniscal pathology through a click or joint line pain is the one that combines rotation with knee flexion and extension to stress the meniscus.

Eliciting a click or joint line pain points to a problem inside the meniscus. McMurray's test does exactly that by moving the knee through flexion and extension while rotating the tibia, which stresses and traps the meniscal tissue between the femur and tibia. If a tear is present, a fragment can pinch or snap as it passes the condyles, producing a palpable or audible click along the joint line and corresponding pain. Medial meniscus testing uses external rotation of the tibia with extension to provoke the tear, while lateral meniscus testing uses internal rotation. In contrast, tests like the posterior drawer check the posterior cruciate ligament, and valgus/varus stress tests assess the collateral ligaments, not the meniscus. So the maneuver that best reveals meniscal pathology through a click or joint line pain is the one that combines rotation with knee flexion and extension to stress the meniscus.