Articles in this category
Ankle loose body manipulation?
Loose body manipulation of the elbow
When to apply mechanical traction in the lumbar spine?
Cervical rotation manipulation
Knee manipulation for internal derangement or loose body
Lumbar spine manipulation, which techniques to use
Lumbar manipulation for internal derangement, the "reverse stretch"
How to reduce a carpal subluxation?
[...]
Home
Orthopaedic Medicine Knowledge Bank
Manipulation techniques
Knee manipulation for internal derangement or loose body

Knee manipulation for internal derangement or loose body
How to perform a loose body manipulation in the knee?
This pathology is easily missed by the therapist, but it is common, more specifically in the arthrotic knee.
Typical elements from the history are:
- twinges,
- giving way
- temporary locking of the knee.
- Some kind of apprehension on going downstairs is also described.
Of course, this kind of manipulation is only useful in case of non bony loose bodies. Bony loose bodies need to be removed by surgery.
How to do
Grip: for a left knee, the right index finger is put on the tibia, the palm of the hand facing upwards. The left hand is placed along the achilles tendon and brings the foot in dorsiflexion (to stabilize the ankle joint).
Execution : the therapist puts his right foot on the couch and brings the patient’s foot onto his thigh. The thigh is fixed by a strap, in order to create a traction component.
Keeping the patient’s leg up as long as possible, the therapist steps sideways, using his body weight. At the same time, he performs three full rotations