This test is indicated in the case of:
- Pain when climbing stairs, squatting and cycling.
- Pain behind the patella.
- Pain upon palpation of the patella.
- Crepitations in the patellofemoral joint during the basic function test.
Procedure
- The patient lies in supine position with extended hips and knees.
- The quadriceps femoris muscles should be relaxed bilaterally.
- Hold the superior pole of the patella with the thumb and index finger and stabilise it distally [Figure 77].
Figure 77
- Ask the patient to tense the quadriceps femoris muscle in this position by ‘pressing’ the back of the knee onto the examination table.
- Compare the left knee with the right knee.
- The test is positive, if during the tensing of the quadriceps muscle, the patient only indicates retropatellar pain on the side where the complaint exists.
- The test is often false-positive and therefore, only has a moderate specificity.
