Posterior drawer test of the knee

Name of test

Posterior drawer test of the knee

What it tests

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the knee

How to do it

The patient should be supine, with the hips flexed to 45 degrees, the knees flexed to 90 degrees, and the feet flat on the table. The examiner sits on the patient’s feet and grasps the patient’s tibia and pulls it backward. If the tibia pulls backward more than normal, the test is considered positive.

The normal response

The tibia should be displaced backward no more than would normally be expected

What it means if not normal

Excessive displacement of the tibia posteriorly indicates that the PCL is likely torn

Comments

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Citations

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