Knee Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Knee Ligament Sprain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Aug 21.

Published in final edited form as: J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Apr;40(4):A1–A37. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2010.0303

Varus Stress Test at 0° and 30°
ICF category	Measure of impairment of body function, stability of a single joint
Description	The amount of separation between the tibia and femur at the LCL during a varus stress test performed at 0° and 30° of knee flexion
Measurement method	The patient is supine. While facing toward the feet of the patient, the examiner holds the ankle of the tested limb with the outside hand. The limb is extended over the edge of the testing table. The examiner stands between the tested limb and the examination table. The examiner places his outside thigh against the thigh of the tested limb. The knee is extended to 0°. The opposite hand of the examiner is placed over the lateral joint line of the tested limb. The examiner applies a varus force by adducting the ankle and stabilizing the thigh. The amount of separation between the femur and tibia, suggestive of a disruption of the LCL, is recorded. The test is repeated with the knee flexed to 30°.
Nature of variable	Ordinal
Units of measurement	As described by the IKDC 2000 knee examination form,⁴ severity is graded as a difference in the involved knee compared to normal or what is assumed to be normal: Normal (−1–2 mm) Nearly normal (3–5 mm) Abnormal (6–10 mm) Severely abnormal (>10 mm)
Measurement properties	No quality studies have assessed varus stress test