Which test is a classic anterolateral instability test performed with a drawer plus rotation?

• A. Slocum Test
• B. Martins Test
• C. Pivot Shift Test
• D. Thessaly Test

Answer: (A)

Anterolateral rotary instability is best assessed by stressing anterior translation while the tibia is rotated to load the anterolateral structures. This is done by performing the anterior drawer maneuver with the tibia internally rotated, which tensions the anterolateral capsule and the lateral ligament complex. The classic way to do this is the Slocum test: knee about 90 degrees bent, tibia rotated internally before translating it forward. A positive result shows increased anterior laxity and often a sense of subluxation or a clunk as the tibia reduces, indicating instability in the anterolateral structures.

While other tests can touch on related problems, they don’t match the drawer-with-rotation approach. The pivot shift test is a dynamic assessment of ACL deficiency with anterolateral rotatory instability but relies on a reduction phenomenon during knee flexion rather than a static drawer with rotation. The Thessaly test targets meniscal tears through weight-bearing rotation, and the remaining options assess different aspects or conditions of the knee. Thus, the Slocum test best fits the description of a classic anterolateral instability test performed with a drawer plus rotation.