Which test may be positive in addition to McMurray's?

Which test may be positive in addition to McMurray's?

• A. Positive Thessaly
• B. Joint line tenderness
• C. Pain with maximum passive knee flexion
• D. Pain with forced hyperextension

Answer: (A)

The concept here is that meniscal tears can show up on several different provocative tests, not just one. McMurray’s test is a classic way to provoke a meniscal tear by applying rotation and flexion to jam the torn edge. A second test that commonly accompanies it and can also be positive is the Thessaly test. The Thessaly test adds a different loading pattern: the patient stands on one leg with a slight bend in the knee (first about 5 degrees, then about 20 degrees) and the tibia is rotated internally and externally. If this motion reproduces pain or a click, it points to a meniscal tear. Why this is the best fit: it targets the same pathology (a torn meniscus) but through a distinct mechanism, so a tear may be detected by both tests even if one is negative in another scenario. The other options aren’t as specific for meniscal injury in this context; joint line tenderness is a sign rather than a separate provocative test, and pain with maximum passive knee flexion or pain with forced hyperextension suggests different issues or less direct meniscal provocation.

The concept here is that meniscal tears can show up on several different provocative tests, not just one. McMurray’s test is a classic way to provoke a meniscal tear by applying rotation and flexion to jam the torn edge. A second test that commonly accompanies it and can also be positive is the Thessaly test. The Thessaly test adds a different loading pattern: the patient stands on one leg with a slight bend in the knee (first about 5 degrees, then about 20 degrees) and the tibia is rotated internally and externally. If this motion reproduces pain or a click, it points to a meniscal tear.

Why this is the best fit: it targets the same pathology (a torn meniscus) but through a distinct mechanism, so a tear may be detected by both tests even if one is negative in another scenario. The other options aren’t as specific for meniscal injury in this context; joint line tenderness is a sign rather than a separate provocative test, and pain with maximum passive knee flexion or pain with forced hyperextension suggests different issues or less direct meniscal provocation.