Professor Bill Walter examines an arthritic knee joint
Video: Clinical examination of knee joint for joint replacement assessment
Professor Walter examines a patient with an arthritic knee prior to knee replacement surgery and 4 weeks after knee replacement surgery (7 minute knee examination video)
In this 7 minute clinical examination video, Professor Walter examines patient with an arthritic knee prior to knee replacement surgery.
A patient history is taken which focuses on:
- Pain profile – location of pain, radiation of pain and factors which exacerbate and relieve pain.
- Joint profile – catching, clicking, swelling and tendency for joint to give-way.
- Activity profile – difficulties with walking, using stairs and rising from chair.
A physical examination of the patient is done to assess for:
- Quadriceps wasting
- Bowlegged deformation (varus) or knock-knee deformity (valgus)
- Swelling of the knee
- Flexion contracture (Difficulty straightening knee /leg)
- Wasting of hamstring and calf muscles
- Bilateral varus thrust
- Crepitus
- Sensory changes (loss of sensation)
- Effusion (test with effusion wipe test)
- Extensor lag
- Knee flexion
- Knee pain location through palpation of the joint
- Impact of valgus and varus loading
X-rays are examined for:
- Loss of joint space
- Osteophytes
- Cystic changes in bone
- Sub-chondral sclerosis
- Tibial subluxation relative to femur
- Widening of lateral/colateral ligament
- Patello femoral ligament articulation changes
- Joint space narrowing