Inspection
Initial inspection of the knee should note the following while the patient is standing:
- view from in front, behind and whilst walking
- gait
- colouration: - bruising after trauma to soft tissue or ligaments - redness suggesting inflammation
- deformity: - varus / valgus - fixed flexion / hyperextension
- swelling: - synovial cavity and suprapatellar pouch swelling suggest effusion, haemarthrosis, pyarthrosis and space-occupying lesions - swelling beyond the joint cavity suggests infection, tumour or major injury
- masses: - infra / pre-patellar bursitis - meniscal cyst in the joint line - diphysial aclasis at the joint margins
- muscle wasting - compare the relaxed quadriceps
- scars - previous injury or surgery
- sinuses
- shortening - see hip section
- patella tracking
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