Each knee contains two menisci made of fibrous cartilage, which are basically shock absorbers. The Steinmann test is one of the tests used to diagnose meniscal injuries. In this test, your physician will have you sit up on a table with your legs hanging over the side. Your physician will then twist each leg, moving it in and out. If you feel pain in the meniscal area, it may indicate a meniscal problem.
The Apley and McMurray tests can also be helpful in diagnosing a meniscal tear. In the Apley test, you are prone, knee bent 90 degrees, and the foot rotated inward and outward. This compressive and rotational force will often signal a medial or lateral meniscal tear. In the McMurray test, you are supine, the knee bent fully (approximately 130 to 140 degrees) and slowly extended while externally rotated. A loud pop might signify a torn medial meniscus. Unfortunately, however, there are often lots of noises in a knee that are harmless, and such an event while performing a McMurray test might be misleading to the inexperienced physician.
Your physician will move your leg in various ways to check the range of motion, the ability to straighten and bend the knee. A healthy knee should be able to bend and flex with ease. Pain or restricted movement could suggest several possible problems. For example, perhaps the patella is not aligned correctly. Or if there is pain upon compressing the joint (when you flex or bend your foot toward your back), it means that there are articular cartilage problems. If the leg gets “locked” upon extension or straightening, it might suggest a displaced meniscal tear or a subluxed (offtrack) patella.
