{"id":13158,"date":"2022-11-29T20:11:03","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T19:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/?post_type=wiki&#038;p=13158"},"modified":"2026-10-15T18:36:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T16:36:40","slug":"hoffas-test","status":"publish","type":"wiki","link":"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/hoffas-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoffa&#8217;s Test"},"featured_media":13159,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"class_list":["post-13158","wiki","type-wiki","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"free_access":"","app_link":"","sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"page-header-detail-page","background":{"background_image":13156,"background_image_alt_text":"Hoffa's Test"},"heading":"Hoffa's Test | Infrapatellar Fat Pad Syndrome Assessment","subheading":"Knee Assessment","content_editor":"","button_type":"internal_link","button_label":"Check our shop","button_style":"button-five","button_internal_link":4646,"button_anchor":"","button_url":"","button_file":null,"label":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"submenu","links":[{"button_type":"anchor","button_label":"Learn","button_internal_link":null,"button_anchor":"section-number-3","button_url":"","button_file":null},{"button_type":"anchor","button_label":"Free lecture","button_internal_link":null,"button_anchor":"section-number-5","button_url":"","button_file":null},{"button_type":"anchor","button_label":"Assessment E-Book","button_internal_link":null,"button_anchor":"section-number-6","button_url":"","button_file":null}],"dropdown_label":"Go to","button_right":{"button_type":"internal_link","button_label":"Try Premium free","button_style":"button-three","button_internal_link":26802,"button_anchor":"","button_url":"","button_file":""},"button_description":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content-content","section_options":{"vertical_alignment":"top","column_right_box":false,"column_left_width":"col-12 col-lg-4 offset"},"column_left":{"content_editor":"<h4>Learn<\/h4>"},"column_right":{"content_editor":"<h6>Hoffa's Test | Infrapatellar Fat Pad Syndrome Assessment<\/h2>\nThe infrapatellar fat pad is an intracapsular and extrasynovial adipose tissue occupying the anterior knee joint from the inferior pole of the patella to the proximal tibia. As it is highly vascularized and innervated, impingement of the infrapatellar fat pad is a potential source of nociception causing anterior knee pain that is often overlooked.\n\nThis test has not been evaluated in diagnostic studies, which is why we give it a questionable value in clinical practice.\n<div class=\"embed-container\">\n\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QdCJU7EQc3k[\/embed]\n\n<\/div>\nTo perform the test, have the patient in supine lying position with the knee flexed to 30-60 degrees. With one hand, the examiner supports the tibia dorsally, while he exerts direct pressure on the medial and lateral side of the inferior pole of the patella. The same process is repeated with the knee in extension. This test is positive for patellar fat pat impingement if the patient reports increased pain upon pressure on either side in the extended position compared to the flexed position.\n\nHoffa's Fat Pad Syndrome has to be distinguished from patellofemoral pain. Here are a couple of orthopedic tests to diagnose patellofemoral pain:\n<ul>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/patellofemoral-pain-diagnosis\/\">Patellofemoral Pain Diagnosis<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/patellofemoral-pain-cluster\/\">Patellofemoral Pain Cluster<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/decline-step-down-test\/\">Decline Step-Down Test<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/clarkes-sign\/\">Clarke's Sign<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n&nbsp;\n"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"content-content","section_options":{"vertical_alignment":"top","column_right_box":false,"column_left_width":"col-12 col-lg-4 offset"},"column_left":{"content_editor":"<h4>References<\/h4>"},"column_right":{"content_editor":"<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22149697\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dragoo, J. L., Johnson, C., &amp; McConnell, J. (2012). Evaluation and treatment of disorders of the infrapatellar fat pad.\u00a0Sports medicine,\u00a042(1), 51-67.<\/a>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta-form-v2","content_editor":"<h2>Seeing patients with <strong>anterior knee pain?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Watch Claire Robertson's <strong>free<\/strong> 2-part video lecture on the VMO and its role in patellofemoral pain.<\/p>","form":"96","image":29336,"image_alt_text":"Free VMO lecture"},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta-image-v2","layout":"","background":"transparent","heading":"","content_editor":"<p class=\"subheading\">Like what you\u2019re learning?<\/p>\n<p class=\"heading-two\">Get the full Physiotutors <strong>Assessment Book<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul>\n \t<li>600+ pages on orthopedic assessment<\/li>\n \t<li>Video demonstrations and direct links to the PubMed studies<\/li>\n \t<li>Statistical values for every special test, from the latest research<\/li>\n \t<li>Free lifetime updates<\/li>\n \t<li>Available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish<\/li>\n<\/ul>","button_type":"internal_link","button_label":"See the Assessment Book","button_style":"button-two","button_internal_link":4646,"button_anchor":"","button_url":"","button_file":null,"side_button":{"side_button_content_editor":""},"bottom_button":{"bottom_button_content_editor":""},"image":22705,"image_alt_text":""}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Hoffa&#039;s Test | Infrapatellar Fat Pad Syndrome Assessment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hoffa&#039;s Test is an orthopedic test to assess for infrapatellar fat pad syndrome of the knee, more commonly known as Hoffa&#039;s Fat pad syndrome.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/wiki\/hoffas-test\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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