How to Perform a McMurray Test on the Knee
The meniscus is a pad of soft tissue in the knee that helps absorb the impact of forces produced by walking, running and other activities. These pads are often worn down or torn over time, which then leads to osteoarthritis. In order to check a patient for an injured meniscus, doctors perform the McMurray Test. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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Ask the patient to lie flat on his or her back.
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Position yourself at the patient's feet.
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Hold the patient's knee with one of your hands and his or her ankle with the other.
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Flex the patient's knee to a 45-degree angle and lift it slightly into the air.
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Feel the medial joint line with your fingers as you pull the patient's leg toward you and rotate it externally.
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Extend the patient's leg until it reaches 90 degrees of flexion. If you felt a click during the extension or rotation of the leg, then the McMurray test is positive, and the patient's meniscus is injured.
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Tips & Warnings
Place your fingers on the lateral joint line, and rotate the leg internally to check for an injury to the lateral meniscus.
The medial joint line is on the inside of the knee. The lateral joint line is on the outside of the knee.
Don't press the medial joint line too firmly with your fingers. Extreme pressure might cause the patient pain and skew the exam's results.
