Posterior Drawer Test

Video demonstrating posterior drawer test. View the complete knee examination learning module at https://sites.google.com/a/umich.edu/fammed-modules/

Any medical information in this material is intended to inform and educate and is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Please speak to your physician if you have questions about your medical condition.

CC: BY-NC University of Michigan Family Medicine Residency Program. This material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/.

(English captions by Trisha Paul from the University of Michigan)

The posterior drawer test assesses for a
tear of the posterior cruciate ligament.

With the knee flexed at ninety degrees and the foot planted on the table,

push the proximal tibia posteriorly. Excessive
motion or a soft endpoint is a positive

test.