Which maneuver is used to assess patellofemoral pain syndrome?

• A. Lachman test
• B. Apley compression test
• C. Thessaly test
• D. Jack test or patellar grind test

Answer: (D)

Patellofemoral pain syndrome shows up as pain around the patellofemoral joint when this part of the knee is loaded, such as during bending activities. The patellar grind test directly loads the patellofemoral articulation by pressing the patella into the femur and having the patient contract the quadriceps. This action increases contact stress at the patellofemoral joint, so if someone has PFPS, they often reproduce the familiar retropatellar pain and may feel crepitus. That direct loading makes it the most diagnostic maneuver for this condition. The other maneuvers test different structures—a Lachman test for the ACL, an Apley compression test for the menisci, and the Thessaly test for meniscal pathology—so they don’t specifically target patellofemoral pain.