The Thessaly Test is performed in how many degrees of knee flexion?

Get ready for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). Study with multiple-choice questions, detailed explanations, and hints. Maximize your exam potential!

The Thessaly Test is an important clinical maneuver used to assess knee joint integrity, particularly for diagnosing meniscal tears. This test is performed with the patient in a standing position and involves the patient flexing the knee to specific degrees. The correct degrees of knee flexion for the Thessaly Test are 5 degrees and 20 degrees.

At 5 degrees of flexion, the test primarily evaluates for pain and clicking that may indicate a medial or lateral meniscus lesion. At 20 degrees of flexion, the test allows for assessment of the full range of motion and greater stress on the knee joint structures, helping to capture symptoms associated with meniscal injuries more effectively.

The inclusion of both 5 degrees and 20 degrees emphasizes the need for a comprehensive evaluation at different angles of knee flexion, as the mechanics of the joint and the stress on the menisci vary at different levels of flexion. Thus, this combination of angles provided by the correct answer facilitates a thorough assessment of knee pathology related to meniscal injuries.

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