This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Inspection

Authoring team

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

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.