Which test yields pain at approximately 30 degrees of knee flexion due to the IT band rubbing over the epicondyle?

• A. Pivot Shift Test
• B. IT Band Friction Test
• C. Slocum Test
• D. Thessaly Test

Answer: (B)

Pain reproduced when the iliotibial (IT) band is compressed as it glides over the lateral femoral epicondyle around 30 degrees of knee flexion is the hallmark of IT band friction syndrome. This occurs because the IT band crosses the lateral knee and, with repetitive knee bending, can ride or rub over the epicondyle, producing lateral knee pain at a specific flexion angle. The IT band friction test targets this mechanism by pressing the IT band near the lateral epicondyle and guiding the knee through motion so that the band sweeps over the bony prominence around 30 degrees of flexion; a positive sign is that familiar sharp pain at that angle. This is distinct from the other tests, which are designed to assess different structures—ACL stability with pivot shift, ACL/rotational laxity with the Slocum test, and meniscal integrity with the Thessaly test—making the IT band friction test the best fit for IT band syndrome.