The axial percussion test for fracture

This article describes axial percussion as a helpful new sign in the clinical diagnosis of certain fractures. Tapping, or percussion, produces a force which is transmitted along the shaft of a bone and this, in turn, will cause pain at the site of a recent transverse fracture. Because no force is applied at the site of injury, there is usually good patient cooperation and compliance during the test. It is useful in diagnosing transverse fractures of long bones, prior to radiologic investigation, or at locations where X-ray facilities are not immediately available, such as the home or roadside.