AccessPT Channel, Weekly Physical Therapy Conundrum

PT Question of the Week - Pain and locking of the knee

A 40-year-old man complains of pain and locking of the knee following a twisting injury to his knee while playing in the backyard with his son. The patient reports hearing a pop and now has difficulty moving the knee. You regain full range of motion in the patient’s knee using long-axis traction of the involved lower extremity. What is your preliminary hypothesis, and the appropriate course of action?

  1. Anterior cruciate rupture. Medical referral
  2. Meniscus tear. Medical referral
  3. An insertional tear of the gastrocnemius. Treat with ice, compression, and elevation
  4. Tibial plateau fracture. Medical referral

The solution will be posted in a few days