Knee Active Range of Motion | Basic AROM Assessment

During Knee Active Range of Motion assessment, we are looking at 4 active movements. Flexion, and extension. As well as internal and external rotation of the tibia on the femur.

For Flexion the patient is lying in supine position. I am then going to ask him to bring the heel as far as possible to the buttock. To assess extension, the patient is lying supine with straight legs. You could ask the patient to contract the quads or to push the knee into the bench, which is going to extend the lower leg. The patient’s heel should lift off of the bench.

When conducting active flexion and extension, the examiner should observe the patella and whether it tracks smoothly along the femoral trochlea. During extension, the patella moves up and laterally and during flexion, it moves down and medially.

For internal and external rotation have the patient sit on the edge of the bench with the legs hanging freely. You may palpate above the ankle joint to distinguish between ankle inversion or eversion and actual rotation in the tibiofemoral joint.

For external rotation, the patient brings the foot outwards. For internal rotation, the patient brings the foot inwards.

If you want to learn how to conduct passive range of motion assessment in the knee, click here.

21 OF THE MOST USEFUL ORTHOPAEDIC TESTS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

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