The McMurray test is used to diagnose a tear in the meniscus of the knee joint. During the test, the knee is rotated while the patient is lying down, and a clicking or popping sensation indicates a tear. Treatment depends on the severity of the tear.
McMurray’s test is a procedure performed during a physical examination of the knee joint. Two pieces of cartilage protect the knee joint; one or both can break after a knee injury. Knee rotation during a McMurray test can help diagnose a tear in the cartilage.
Two bones in the leg, the femur and tibia, join at the knee joint. Each side of the knee joint has a C-shaped piece of cartilage called the meniscus that cushions and supports the knee. Heavy sporting activity or a sudden twist in the knee can lead to a tear in any of the menisci.
If one of the menisci tears, the patient may feel pain and a feeling that the knee is about to give out. During the physical exam, the doctor will perform various tests, including the McMurray test, to determine if there is damage. Named after British orthopedic surgeon Thomas Porter McMurray, the McMurray test has been in use since the mid-1900s.
To diagnose a tear in the internal or medial meniscus, your doctor will have you lie on your back with your knees bent. The doctor will place one hand on the bottom of the foot of the affected leg and the other on the inside of the knee. During leg extension, the knee joint will be rotated outward, away from the patient. If there is a tear, there will be a clicking or popping sensation in the joint that can be felt and perhaps heard.
Evaluation of the external or lateral meniscus is done in a similar way, but with the doctor placing one hand on the foot and the other on the outside of the knee joint. Rotation of the joint would be done inward towards the patient while the leg is extended. A characteristic pop at the joint would indicate a positive McMurray test.
Patients who have a positive result on the McMurray test may have pain and swelling in the knee joint. For minor tears, symptoms may go away in a few weeks with rest and ice packs to control swelling. Patients with a major lesion may have more severe symptoms that do not subside. These patients may need further tests and possibly surgery to repair the cartilage.
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