Knee Anterior Drawer Test

What is the "Knee Anterior Drawer Test" used for?

• Determine the integrity of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) – full or partial tear.

How to perform the "Knee Anterior Drawer Test"?

• The knee is flexed between 60 and 90 degrees with the foot resting on the exam table.
• The examiner puts both hands behind the tibia and attempts to displace the tibia anteriorly while the foot remains resting on the table.

What is the positive result?

• Increased tibial displacement with the foot in neutral indicates a positive test which is graded by severity:
  • Grade 1 = 5 mm
  • Grade II = 5-10mm
  • Grade III = > 10 mm.

Test Accuracy

• Sensitivity: 18- 92 %
• Specificity: 78-98 %

References

• NCBI – PubMed
• Knee Anterior Drawer Test | Orthofixar
• Orthobullets – Knee Physical Exam – Adult