Radiohumeral Joint Distraction Test

What is the "Radiohumeral Joint Distraction Test" used for?

• Detect loose body in the elbow joint

How to perform the "Radiohumeral Joint Distraction Test"?

• The patient and examiner are in standing. 
• The examiner grasps the patient’s distal radius with a lumbrical grip and allows the dorsum of the patient’s hand to rest under the examiner’s forearm while the examiner stabilizes the distal humerus with the other hand. 
• The patient is then asked to extend the wrist against the examiner’s forearm, applying as much resistance as possible. 
• The examiner notes the amount of force generated and asks whether the patient’s pain was produced and rates the pain intensity on a scale of 1 to 10. 
• The patient relaxes and the examiner then applies and maintains a traction force along the line of the radius. 
• While maintaining the traction, the patient is again asked to extend the wrist against the examiner’s forearm. 
• The examiner then again asks about pain generation and grades the pain.

What is the positive result?

• If the pain is less on the second test, the test indicates a possible loose body in the joint