Valgus Stress Test for Lateral Collateral Ligament Injuries

The Valgus Stress Test for LCL injuries has hardly been evaluated regarding its diagnostic accuracy. So, little is known about the validity of this test. Only one study by Harilainen et al. (1987) evaluated the varus stress test and found rather poor diagnostic accuracy. They rated the sensitivity at 25% and could not report any specificity percentage.

Patient in supine. Take the leg and bring it in 30° Flexion (MLPP) and use a cushion or edge of the bed so the patient can relax.

With one hand fixate the femur. Apply slight lateral rotation and perform passive adduction at the knee joint and thus put stress on the LCL. Check for excessive gapping and if you can reproduce the patient’s pain.

If you want to assess the integrity of the medial collateral ligament (MCL), check out the Valgus Stress Test of the Knee.

Harilainen A. Evaluation of knee instability in acute ligamentous injuries. InAnnales chirurgiae et gynaecologiae 1987 Jan 1 (Vol. 76, No. 5, pp. 269-273).