Term
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Definition
For determination of leg length discrepancy. With patient in prone position, flexing the knee to 90 degrees reveals potential discrepancies of both femurs, tibial, and femoral lengths. |
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Definition
| tests for occlusion of the radial and ulnar arteries. Both arteries are occluded digitally by making a fist repeatedly. First, one artery is released, then the other, to observe pattern of capillary refill in the hand. The test is required prior to an invasive procedure on the arteries at the wrist |
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Definition
| relaxation of the fascia between the crest of the ilium and the greater trochanter: a sign of fracture of the neck of the femur. |
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Definition
| In painful flexure of the spine, the patient, when rising to a sitting posture from lying in bed, does so by supporting himself with his hands placed far behind him in the bed. |
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Definition
| inability to bend the spine while lying on the back so as to rest on the head and heels alone, seen in TB of the vertebrae. |
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Definition
| involuntary contraction of the tibialis anterior muscle when the thigh is forcibly flexed on the abdomen; seen in spastic paraplegia |
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Definition
| For early hip joint disease of diseased vertebrae. A closed fist striking a blow to the sole of the foot with leg extended produces pain in the hip or vertebrae. |
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Term
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Definition
| For vertebral disorders. A closed fist striking a blow to the top of the head elicits pain in the vertebrae. |
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Definition
| For loss of brain control over lower extremeties. Scraping the soles causes toes to pull up. |
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Definition
| The patient seated in bed is directed to stretch out both legs; in sciatica he cannot do this, but can stretch out each leg in turn. |
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Term
Bench test (aka Burn's test) |
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Definition
| for non-organic back pain. In normal hip motion, the patient should be able to bend over and touch the floor kneeling on a 12-inch high bench; not being able to implies a non-organic (or psychological) back pain. Also call Burn's test. |
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Definition
| The production of pain on moderate lateral compression of the lower ends of the radius and ulna; observed in rheumatoid arthritis. |
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Definition
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Definition
| Dissociation between the movements of the head and eyes; as the head is raised the eye are lowered and vice versa. Also called doll's eye sign. |
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Definition
| For upper motor neuron loss (brain). The big toe extends when irritating the skin in the external malleolar region; indicates lesions of the corticospinal paths. Also called external malleolus sign or the Chaddock reflex. |
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Term
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Definition
| Creasing of the skin just above the patella, indicative of fracture of the femur with overriding of fragments. |
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Term
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Definition
| In rupture of the supraspinatus tendon, the arm can be passively abducted without pain, but when support of the arm is removed and the deltoid contracts suddenly, pain occurs again. |
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Term
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Definition
While testing the strength of a muscle, the patient exhibits jerky motions that are neither rhythmic nor equal and represent pretending or protection from pain. |
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Term
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Definition
| A sign of scapular fracture presenting in the scapular region, shortly after the accident, a triangular swelling reproducing the shape of the body of the scapula. |
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Term
| Contralateral straight leg raising test |
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Definition
| For sciatica. When the leg is flexed, the hip can also be flexed, but not when the leg is held with the leg held straight causes pain on the affected side. Also called Fajersztajn's crossed sciatic sign. |
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Term
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Definition
| Ecchymosis on the perineum and scrotum or labia; a sign of fracture of the pelvis. |
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Term
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Definition
| In acute subacromial bursitis, when the arm hangs by the side, palpation over the bursa causes pain but when the arm is abducted, this pain disappears. |
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Term
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Definition
| Aggravation of symptoms of radiculitis produced by coughing, sneezing, and straining at stool. |
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Definition
| A sign that permits the differentiation of pain originating in the sacrolumbalis muscles from lumbar pain of any other origin. The sign is obtained by placing the patient in dorsal leg. In the presence of lumbago, this produces pain in the lumbar leg high enough to form an angle of ten degrees, or even less, with the table or bed on which the patient reposes. The pain is due to the stretching of the sacrolumbalis. |
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Definition
| A sign of intracapsular fracture of the femur, consisting of alternation of the arc described by rotation of the great trochanter, which normally describes the segment of a circle, but in this fracture rotates only as the apex of the femur rotates about its own axis. |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| A test for the existence of dislocation of the shoulder, made by placing the hand of the affected side on the opposite shoulder and bringing the elbow to the side of the chest. If this cannot be accomplished (Dugas' sign), dislocation of the shoulder exists. |
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Definition
| With the patient prone, if flexion of the leg on the thigh causes the buttocks to arch away from the table and the leg to abduct at the hip joint, there is contracture of the lateral fascia of the thigh. |
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Term
| Fajerszatjn's crossed sciatic sign |
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Definition
| In sciatica, when the leg is flexed, the hip can also be flexed, but not when the leg is held straight; flexing the sound thigh with the leg held straight causes pain on the affected side. See also contralateral straight leg raise. |
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Term
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Definition
| Spreading apart of the toes following the stroking of the sole of the foot; it forms part of the Babinski's reflex. |
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Term
| Femoral nerve stretch test |
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Definition
| For lesion of third or fourth lumbar disk. Passive knee flexion in the prone position causes pain in the back or thighs. |
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Term
| Femoral nerve traction test |
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Definition
| For radiculopathy of the second through fourth lumbar nerves. With patient prone, the knee is flexed, causing back or thigh pain. |
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Term
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Definition
| The patient is asked to rise on command from a sitting position; he is asked to rise and walk, then stop quickly on command; he is asked to walk and turn around quickly on command. The ataxic gait is thus brough out. |
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Term
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Definition
| A test for tight intrinsic muscles in ulnar deviation of the digits; in rheumatoid arthritis a heavy, taut ulnar band is demonstrated when the digit is held in its normal axial relationship. |
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Term
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Definition
| Flexion of the distal phalanx of the thumb when a sheet of paper is held between the thumb and index finger; seen in affection of the ulnar nerve. |
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Term
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Definition
| With the patient on his back on the operating table, the knee and hip of one leg are held in flexed position by the patient, while the other leg, hanging over the edge of the table, is pressed down by the examiner to produce hyperextension of the hip; pain occurs on the affected side in lumbosacral disease. |
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Term
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Definition
| In congenital dislocation of the hip, the dislocated side is shorter when both thighs are flexed 90 degrees |
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Term
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Definition
| with the patient lying supine, his leg is raised by the examiner with one hand, the other hand being placed under the patient's lower back. Leverage is then applied to the side of the pelvis. If pain is felt by the patient before the lumbar spine is moved, the lesion is a sprain of the sacroiliac joint. If pain is not felt by patient before the lumbar spine is moved, the lesion is in the sacroiliac or lumbosacral articulation. |
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Term
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Definition
| Brisk flexion at the hip and knee joint when the contralateral quadriceps muscle is pinched; a sign of meningeal irritation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A 100-point scale with 40 points for function and 60 for pain in the hip. |
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Term
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Definition
| small hard nodules, formed usually at the distal interphalangeal articulations of the fingers, produced by calcific spurs of the articular cartilage and associated with interphalangeal osteoarthritis. Heredity is an important etiologic factor. Called also Heberden's sign. |
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Term
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Definition
| For coordinated movements of the extremities. The patient, lying on his back, is asked to touch the knee of one leg with the heel of the other and then to pass the heel slowly down the front of the shin to the ankle. |
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Term
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Definition
| Medial curving of the Achilles tendon as viewed from behind; seen in flatfoot. |
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Term
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Definition
| Adduction, inversion, and slight plantar flexion of the foot on stroking the inner aspect (not the sole) of the foot from the great toe to the heel. Also called adductor reflex of foot. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1. increased mechanical irritability of the sensory nerves in tetany; the ulnar nerve is usually tested. 2. A sudden nipping of the nail of the index, middle, or ring finger produces flexion of the terminal phalanx of the thumb and of the second and third phalanxes of some other finger. Called also digital reflex, Hoffman's reflex, and Trommer's sign. |
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Term
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Definition
| Discomfort behind the knee on forced dorsiflexion of the foot; a sign of thrombosis in the veins of the calf. |
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Term
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Definition
| For anterolateral instability of the knee; noted by starting at 45 degrees flexion with tibia internally rotated and applying valgus force while rotating fibula medially. There is a jerk at about 20 degrees from full extension. |
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Term
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Definition
| The patient is recumbent, with his legs hanging over the edge of the table, and is told to cough. If the coughing produced flexion of the thigh and extension of the leg in the paralyzed limb, it indicates that the paralysis is due to an upper motor neuron lesion. |
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Term
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Definition
| For osteoarthritis of the hip. The patient is told to cross his legs with a point just above the ankle resting on the opposite knee; this motion is impossible when the disease exists. |
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Term
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Definition
| A procedure for emphasizing the patellar reflex; the patient hooks his hands together by the flexed fingers and pulls apart as hard as he can. |
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Term
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Definition
| A point of maximum tenderness in the palm one inch proximal to the base of the little finger in infection of the tendon sheath. |
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Term
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Definition
| increased diameter of the leg at the malleoli in Pott's fracture of the fibula. |
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Term
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Definition
| Alteration of the texture of the sign below the somatic level in lesions of the spinal cord. |
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Term
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Definition
| For reducing anterior dislocationis of the shoulders. Done by abducting the arm, externally rotating adduction, and then internally rotating. |
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Term
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Definition
| Relaxation of the extensor muscles of the thigh; a symptom of intracapsular fracture of the femur. |
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Term
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Definition
| In sciatica, flexion of the hip is painful when the knee is extended, but painless when the knee is flexed. This distinguishes the disorder from the disease of the hip joint. See also straight leg raising test. |
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Term
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Definition
| A condition in which the styloid process of the radius and of the ulna are on the same level; seen in fracture of the lower part of the radius |
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Term
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Definition
| In cerebrospinal meningitis, lightly tapping any bone of the extremeties causes the patient to wince suddenly. |
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Term
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Definition
| Passive flexion of the hand and wrist of the affected side in hemiplegia shows no normal flexion of the elbow. |
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Term
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Definition
| The development of sudden transient electric-like shocks spreading down the body when the patient flexes the head forward; seen mainly in multiple sclerosis but also in compression and other disorders of the cervical cord. |
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Term
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Definition
| Extreme tenderness, but without pain on pressure of the mastoid bones. |
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Term
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Definition
| With the patient recumbent or sitting with outstretched legs, passive flexion of the head will cause pain in the leg or the lumbar region in sciatica. |
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Term
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Definition
| Swelling and ecchymosis at the base of Scarpa's triangle together with inability to raise the thigh when in a sitting posture, a sign of traumatic separation of the epiphysis of the greater trochanter. |
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Term
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Definition
| For tennis elbow. With the wrist and fingers fully flexed and the forearm pronated, complete extension of the elbow is painful. |
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Term
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Definition
| The method of raising from a sitting position characteristic of the patient with sciatica: he supports himself on the healthy side, placing one hand on the back, bending the affected leg and balancing the healthy leg. |
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Term
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Definition
| For testing normal early neurologic development or the failure to progress neurologically. The infant is placed on a table, and then the table is forcibly struck from either side, causing the infants arms to be thrown out as in an embrace; should disappear as infancy progresses. |
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Term
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Definition
| For metatarsalgia or neuroma. Transverse pressure across heads of the metatarsals causes sharp pain in the forefoot. |
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Term
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Definition
| For nerve root compression. Nerve root irritatioin is produced by external jugular venous compression by examiner. |
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Term
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Definition
| For nerve root compression. Increase of aggravation of pain or sensory disturbance over the distribution of the involved nerve root upon manual compression of the jugular veins bilaterally confirms the presence of an extruded intervertebral disk or other mass. |
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Term
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Definition
| The patient lies on the side opposite that to be tested, with the underneath hip and knee flexed; with the upper knee flexed to a right angle the upper hip is flexed to 90 degrees, fully abducted, brought into full hyperextension, and allowed to adduct; the angle that the thigh makes above the horizontal is the degree of abduction contracture. |
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Term
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Definition
| Early sign of impending postoperative thrombosis, indicated by tenderness when pressure is placed over the inner side of the foot. |
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Term
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Definition
| Dorsal flexion and abduction of the foot, a sign of latent tetany elicited by tapping the peroneal nerve just below the head of the fibula, while the knee is relaxed and slightly flexed. |
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Term
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Definition
| Percussion of the anterior tibialis muscle produces dorsal flexion and supination of the foot. When this reflex is excessive it indicates organic disease of the central nervous system. Also called anticus sign or reflex. |
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Term
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Definition
| For hyperthyroidism. The patient sits well forward on the edge of the normal chair and holds the leg out at a right angle to the body. Normal persons can hold this position for at least a minute; those with hyperthyroidism can maintain it for only a few seconds. |
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Term
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Definition
| When the veins in the neck are compressed on one or both sides, there is a rapid rise in the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid of healthy persons, and this rise quickly disappears when pressure is taken off the neck. But when there is a block in the vertebral canal, the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid is little or not at all affected by this maneuver. |
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Term
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Definition
| The patient's hand and arm are held upright by the examiner; if the hand is sound, it remains upright on being released; if paretic, the hand reflexes abruptly at the wrist. |
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Term
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Definition
Pallor or blueness of fingers, toes, or nose brought by exposure to cold and less commonly, by other stresses. |
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Term
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Definition
| Acrocyanosis (a condition marked by symmetrical cyanosis of the extremities, with persistent, uneven, mottled blue or red discoloration of the skin of the digits, wrists, and ankles and with profuse sweating and colness of the digits). |
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Term
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Definition
| For differentiating between peripheral and cerebellar ataxia. An increase in clumsiness in all movements and in the width and uncertainty of the gait when the patient's eyes are closed indicates peripheral ataxia; no change indicates the cerebellar type. |
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Term
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Definition
| swaying of the body or falling when standing with the feet close together and the eyes closed; observed in tabes dorsalis. |
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Term
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Definition
| In caries or cancer of the upper cervical vertebrae the patient supports his head with his hands when rising from or assuming a lying position. |
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Term
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Definition
| Analgesia of the peroneal nerve; sometimes noted in tabes dorsalis. |
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Term
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Definition
| In tetany, if the patient's leg is held at the knee joint and flexed strongly at the hip joint, there will follow within a short time an extensor spasm at the knee joint, with extreme supination of the foot. Also called Pool's phenomenon. |
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Term
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Definition
| For rotatry instability of the knee. The examiner pulls on the upper calf of a supine patient with the knees flexed 90 degrees. |
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Term
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Definition
| with the patient flat on his back, on flexion of the spine, beginning at the neck and going downward, a pain will be felt at the site of the lesion in back abnormalities. |
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Term
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Definition
1. Dorsal flexion of the foot when the thigh is drawn up toward the body; seen in spastic paralysis of the lower limb. Also called tibialis sign. 2. Inability to close the fist without marked dorsal extension of the wrist. Also called radialis sign. 3. Pronation sign, passive flexion of the forearm caused by pronation; seen in hemiplegia. |
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Term
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Definition
| A sign for detecting lesions of the anterior arch of the foot. The examiner grasps the toes and flexes them suddenly. This procedure is painless in the normal foot but causes pain if there is inflammation of the anterior arch. |
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Term
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Definition
1. Flexion of the hip joint can be compensated for by lordosis. 2. Pinching of the trapezius muscle causes goose flesh above the level of a spinal cord lesion. |
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Term
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Definition
| With the patient supine when one leg is flexed so that the knee touches the chest and the lumbar spine is flattened, the angle taken by the other hip is the degree of flexion deformity. |
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Term
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Definition
1. a sign of ulnar palsy, consisting of a position of abduction assumed by the little finger. 2. reduction or absence of the pendulum movements of the arm in walking; seen in patient with cerebellar disease |
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Term
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Definition
With knee extended from 30 degrees with valgus stress and internal rotation of the foot, a click is heard in cases of osteochondritis dissecans. |
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