Apley grind test
Encyclopedia
The Apley grind test or Apley test is used to evaluate individuals for problems in the meniscus
of the knee
.
In order to perform the test, the patient lays prone (face-down) on an examination table and flexes their knee to a ninety degree angle. The examiner then places his or her own knee across the posterior
aspect of the patient's thigh. The tibia
is then compressed onto the knee joint while being externally rotated
. If this maneuver produces pain, this constitutes a "positive Apley test" and damage to the meniscus is likely.
The Apley test is named for Alan Graham Apley
(1914–1996), a British orthopedic surgeon
.
Meniscus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
of the knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
.
In order to perform the test, the patient lays prone (face-down) on an examination table and flexes their knee to a ninety degree angle. The examiner then places his or her own knee across the posterior
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
aspect of the patient's thigh. The tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
is then compressed onto the knee joint while being externally rotated
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
. If this maneuver produces pain, this constitutes a "positive Apley test" and damage to the meniscus is likely.
The Apley test is named for Alan Graham Apley
Alan Graham Apley
Alan Graham Apley FRCS was a British orthopaedic surgeon and educator known for his textbook, Apley's System of Orthopaedics and Fractures, and for the Apley grind test in meniscal injury.- Biography :...
(1914–1996), a British orthopedic surgeon
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
.