Which test is used to diagnose Meniscal Lesions and involves dynamic weight-bearing knee flexion?

• A. Thessaly Test
• B. McMurray's Test
• C. Steinmann Test
• D. IT Band Friction Test

Answer: (A)

Dynamic loading of the knee while it’s flexed stresses the menisci in a way that a torn edge can catch or pinch, producing pain or a click. The Thessaly test uses this principle by having you stand on one leg with a slight knee bend, then twist the knee internally and externally, first at a shallow angle and then at a deeper angle. If this maneuver reproduces joint line pain or a click, it suggests a meniscal lesion because the torn cartilage is engaged under real weight-bearing and rotational forces.

Why this is the best fit here is that it specifically leverages dynamic, weight-bearing knee flexion to provoke meniscal symptoms, reflecting how the meniscus works during daily movement. Other tests may also assess meniscal tears but are performed non–weight-bearing and involve different maneuvers (for example, rotating or bending in a supine position), which don’t simulate the functional stress on the meniscus as effectively. Tests targeting other knee structures, like IT band friction syndrome, aren’t about the meniscus at all, and the Steinmann test isn’t the standard dynamic weight-bearing meniscal test.