Acute Knee Injuries; On-the-Field and Sideline Evaluation

An athlete who has an acute knee injury should be assessed rapidly on the field and then more thoroughly on the sideline or in the training room. On-the-field assessment includes questions about the mechanism of injury and any similar previous injuries, a visual check for knee deformities and skin injuries, a neurovascular exam, and, ideally, tests for flexion and hyperextension. On the sideline or in the training room, standard physical tests are likely to reveal any significant injuries. These include the patellar apprehension, Lachman, posterior sag, quadriceps active, posterior drawer, posterolateral drawer, valgus and varus stress, pivot-shift, and dial tests.