Patient is a 22-year-old collegiate basketball player who landed on another player’s foot when coming down with a rebound. The player felt immediate pain and was taken to the locker room for X-rays. The X-rays were negative for fracture. The patient presents with Grade-2 laxity of the deltoid ligament with a positive medial talar tilt test. The patient has difficulty with weight bearing and is wearing a walking boot. There is pain and tenderness along the medial ankle.
Question: What are two other special tests (besides the medial talar tilt test) that are commonly used to assess a deltoid ligament sprain?
Potential answers:
A. Posterior Drawer Test & Kleiger Test
B. Posterior Drawer Test & Proprioception Test
C. Anterior Drawer Test & Posterior Drawer Test
D. Anterior Drawer Test & Kleiger Test
Answer with rationale: A. Posterior Drawer Test & Kleiger Test. The Posterior Drawer Test assesses ligament instability at the ankle. It is positive if there is excessive instability with a posterior glide of the talus on the tibia. The Kleiger Test is an external rotation test that checks for rotational abnormalities in the deltoid ligament. A positive test would produce medial joint pain. Both of these tests would be positive with a deltoid ligament sprain.
For more information see Chapter 206: Deltoid Ligament Sprain in the Color Atlas of Physical Therapy.
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