History Taking
This part of the history identifies aggravating/easing factors and helps determine mechanical vs. systemic causes of lower extremity pain.
What is the history of the present condition?
A prominent navicular and loss of the medial longitudinal arch during weight bearing points to this condition.
What is pes planus?
The sustentaculum tali—a key medial foot landmark—can be palpated on this bone.
What is the calcaneus?
This MMT position best isolates the gluteus maximus.
What is hip extension with the knee flexed?
Pain along the medial ankle joint line during eversion stress suggests injury to this ligament.
What is the deltoid ligament?
This type of question structure is essential when gathering information about episodes of “giving way” in a knee.
What are open-ended questions?
Inspection reveals femoral anteversion. This associated gait finding helps confirm it.
What is in-toeing gait?
When palpating the dorsum of the foot near the 1st ray, this tendon—responsible for great toe extension—is the one you’ll feel.
What is the extensor hallucis longus?
This muscle is the primary mover during ankle inversion MMT.
What is the tibialis anterior?
This special test is used to assess for a syndesmotic sprain.
What is the squeeze test?
This part of the subjective history helps differentiate chronic tendinopathy from acute tendon rupture.
What is the mechanism of injury?
A patella that appears ballotable, or “floating,” during knee inspection indicates this underlying issue.
What is intra-articular effusion?
This specific bony landmark is palpated when assessing for a Lisfranc injury.
What is the base of the 2nd metatarsal?
This is the normal range for knee flexion ROM.
What is 0–135 degrees?
This special test is most appropriate for evaluating chronic ankle instability.”
What is the anterior drawer test?
This is the question you’d ask to determine whether a patient is experiencing true knee locking rather than instability or swelling.
What is ‘Do you ever get stuck and need to manually move your leg to unlock it?
Quadriceps atrophy is often first observed in this portion of the muscle.
What is the vastus medialis oblique?
This tendon is easiest to palpate inferior to the lateral malleolus during ankle eversion.
What is the peroneus longus tendon?
This is the normal ROM for subtalar eversion.
What is 10–15 degrees?
This is the most accurate interpretation of a positive Thompson test.
What is: no plantarflexion indicates a complete rupture?
To help differentiate MTSS from a tibial stress fracture, this is the history question you’d rely on.
What is ‘Does the pain continue even after stopping activity?
A step deformity at the distal fibula observed after an ankle injury indicates this type of bony injury.
What is a lateral malleolus fracture?
This tendon is palpated at the lateral joint line just posterior to the LCL.
What is the popliteus tendon?
This muscle commonly compensates when hip abduction is weak and performed with hip flexion.
What is the tensor fascia latae?
A positive talar tilt inversion test with negative anterior drawer and pain on peroneal resistance most strongly suggests this diagnosis.
What is a CFL sprain with peroneal strain?