Bounce Home Test | Intra-Articular Knee Pathology | Knee Assessment

The Bounce Home Test is an orthopedic test to assess for intra-articular knee pathologies such as meniscus tears or loose bodies which can lead to excessive swelling, ultimately limited full knee extension. This test makes use of the fact that end-range knee extensions is limited or painful.
The bounce home test as it is originally described has not been evaluated in diagnostic accuracy studies, which is why the clinical value remains questionable.

The test is performed with the patient supine. You are going to cup the patient’s foot with your hand and have the leg completely flexed, which is then passively allowed to extend.

The knee should extend completely or bounce home into extension with a sharp endpoint. If extension is not complete or has a rubbery end feel with joint line pain, there is probably a torn meniscus. Hard end feels may indicate intra-articular fragments such as loose bodies.

21 OF THE MOST USEFUL ORTHOPAEDIC TESTS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

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Other common tests to assess for meniscus injuries are:

• McMurray Test
• Joint Line Tenderness
• Duck Walk Test / Childress Test
• Apley’s Test
• Finochietto Test / Jump Sign
• Thessaly Test

Malanga, G. A., Andrus, S., Nadler, S. F., & McLean, J. (2003). Physical examination of the knee: a review of the original test description and scientific validity of common orthopedic tests. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 84(4), 592-603.