The valgus stress test or medial stress test is a test for damage to the
medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament (MCL), or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. Its primary function is to resist out ...
of the knee. It involves placing the
leg
A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element ca ...
into extension, with one hand placed as a
pivot
Pivot may refer to:
*Pivot, the point of rotation in a lever system
*More generally, the center point of any rotational system
*Pivot joint, a kind of joint between bones in the body
*Pivot turn, a dance move
Companies
*Incitec Pivot, an Austra ...
on the knee. With the other hand placed upon the foot applying an
abducting force, an attempt is then made to force the leg at the knee into
valgus. If the knee is seen to open up on the medial side, this is indicative of medial collateral ligament damage and may also indicate capsular or cruciate ligament laxity.
There are two versions of this test: valgus at 0 degrees and valgus at 30 degrees. When performing the test at 30 degrees, the MCL is the primary stabilizer; the joint capsule is also tested. When tested at 0 degrees, the MCL, medial joint capsule, and anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments are stressed.
References
Musculoskeletal examination
{{Med-sign-stub