The clinician suspects that a client has patellar instability.In order to test for this, the client is seated with the quadriceps relaxed, and the knee is placed in extension.Next the patella is displaced laterally, and the knee flexed to 30¡.If instability is present, this maneuver displaces the patella to an abnormal position on the lateral femoral condyle, and the client will perceive pain.Testing for patellar instability in this way is known as:

Question

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Testing for patellar instability in the manner described is known as the apprehension sign. The bulge sign involves detecting fluid in the suprapatellar pouch, while the thumb sign is used to assess for patellar subluxation or dislocation by pressing the patella laterally with the thumb. None of these alternatives are relevant for assessing patellar instability in the manner described.

The Clinician Suspects That a Client Has Patellar Instability