Check out the foot & ankle review page. I'm liking the flow of it...feel free to continue with that type of content OR Q&A style. - Eric

 1. I learned something when studying for palpation of the pes anserine tendon: it is made up of the gracilis, sartorius, and semitendinosus muscles, and although they attach at the tibial flare, the tendon is most easily palpated along the medial joint line. So if you follow along the medial joint line and then hit soft tissue where the MCL should be, that is actually most likely the pes anserine tendon crossing the joint line. -Valerie :-)

1A.  Although Val described a correct method for palpating the pes anserine tendon, you can also palpate a separate tendon for the semitendinosus at the same position, but on the posterior aspect of the knee.  This is somewhat confusing because the pes aserne tendon should be made up of the sartorius, gracilis, and the semitendinosus. -Sean 

2. It is common for the IT band to experience pain and tightness among runners, but it is less well known that excessive weight-lifting (squats, leg presses, etc.) can produce tightness of the IT band, which is why good little weight lifters need to learn how to stretch properly, however undignified it seems.  -Dianna

3. A common mistake when performing special tests (specifically anterior and posterior drawer tests at the knee) is to use the tips of your thumbs when applying force. However, I learned that it is more effective and less painful to the touch for the patient when using the full length of your thumbs. You can still apply the same amount of force, if not more, over more surface area. -Marcy

4. I learned another way to perform Lachman's Test. Typically you have the patient lie in supine position with the knee being tested at 30 degrees knee flexion and hamstrings relaxed. Then stabilizing the distal anterior femur with your outside hand and grasping the proximal tibia using your inside hand with the thumb on the tibial tuberosity. I found it easier to have the patient sitting up with their knee's hanging over the examination table. Then I placed their lower leg between my knees, but still keeping the knee flexion angle. This position helped me take off the weight of their leg and I was able to perform Lachman's test with ease. -Lan

5. It is suggested that the valgus and varus tests @ 0 and 30 degrees for the MCL and LCL be performed on the opposite knee as well in order to test that person's flexibilty, since all of us are so different in our ability to stretch, the sports we play, aka our history. -Lydia

6.  I learned a much easier way to find the medial and lateral joint lines of the knee.  I used to find the joint line by simply feeling down the side of the knee, but if the patient has injury to the knee, this can be swollen and can make it much more difficult to find the joint line.  Instead, if you find the inferior pole of the patella, and then simply slide your thumb medially or laterally, you'll be right in the joint line.  This can be much easier to find even if the patient's knee is swollen. -Teresa

7.

Bursitis typically looks like a much worse situation than it really is as bursa are capable or holding a lot of fluid. Medical attention should be immediately sought, however, if there are signs of infection including excessive pain and spreading redness in the area of the bursa, fever, nausea, etc. The bacteria that infected the bursa may spread to other immediate tissues and to the blood where it can spread throughout the body. Antibiotics will be given in this case in addition to RICE. -Lisa

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