How to Perform a Thompson's Test of the Foot

The Achilles tendon is a band of elastic tissue that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. A healthy Achilles tendon is needed to walk, run, jump or do almost any other activity that involves the legs. A ruptured tendon is very painful and normally requires surgery to repair. To discover whether the Achilles tendon is ruptured, doctors perform the Thompson's Test of the foot. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Ask the patient to lie on the examination table face-down.

2. Instruct the patient to flex his or her knees at a 90-degree angle.

3. Squeeze the calf of the uninjured leg. The patient's foot should immediately flex downward, as if he or she were trying to point his or her toes. This is the normal and ideal response.

4. Squeeze the calf of the other leg and watch for any signs of movement in the foot. If the Achilles Tendon is injured or torn, the foot will stay still, indicating a positive result of the Thompson's test.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to double-check the results of the test.

Tips & Warnings

• Only apply as much pressure to the patient's calf as needed to move the healthy foot.
• Be sure to squeeze the calf muscle and not the soleus or the Achilles Tendon itself. Gripping a spot too low on the patient's leg may cause the foot to move even though the tendon might be injured.

Resources

• Here's a great video explaining the Thompson's test briefly.

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