Drawer Test of the Knee

Drawer test of the knee. With the patient's knee relaxed and flexed to about 90 degrees, you can deduce injury to the posterior cruciate ligament by looking at the tibial tuberosity. If the tibia is ‘hanging' back, i.e. the tibial tuberosity (at the left thumb) cannot be properly seen, this suggests rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament. The anterior drawer test, i.e. drawing the tibia anteriorly, can also be used to assess the stability of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Picture and text: Timo Järvelä