Corpus3D

Knee

Anterior drawer test

What you examine
Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, assessed at 90 degrees of knee flexion.
Procedure
Knee at 90 degrees of flexion, foot fixed. Pull the tibia forward.
Positive when
Increased translation with a soft end feel.
What the test is worth
Less sensitive than Lachman, especially in the acute phase because the hamstrings guard.
Caution
Rule out a posterior cruciate injury first: a tibia that has already sagged backwards gives a false positive anterior drawer.
Joint
Knee joint
Body region
Knee

Structures involved