Foot and Ankle Examination Dr. Abdulrahman Algarni, MD, SSC (Ortho), ABOS Assist. Professor, King Saud University Consultant Orthopedic and Arthroplasty Surgeon
Foot and Ankle Examination Bilateral exposure: at least mid leg Compare, front, back and side Standing and supine position
Foot and Ankle Examination Standing Look Special test Gait Neurovascular examination Supine Look Feel Move Special test
Standing Look Skin changes Soft tissues: Muscle wasting (leg), swelling
Standing Look Bone alignment: (hind foot: varus or valgus, mid foot: cavus, flat foot. Forefoot: hallux valgus), swelling
Standing Look Bone alignment: (hind foot: varus or valgus, mid foot: cavus, flat foot. Forefoot: hallux valgus), swelling
Standing Special test: If patient has flat foot (pes planus): ask the pt to tip toe to check if it is flexible or rigid flatfoot. Observe if the heel will correct from valgus to varus or not as well as midfoot arch reconstitution.
Standing Gait Foot-dropt: foot-slap and high-stepping gait Fixed equinus deformity
Supine Look Plantar surface (Sole): skin changes (callosities)
Supine Feel Skin: temperature. Soft tissue: Achilles tendon. Bone: Bony Landmarks (LM, MM, medial and lateral collateral ligaments, joint line, calceneum) for tenderness.
Supine Move Active and passive ankle ROM (dorsiflexion and planterflexion) Passive subtalar ROM (ankle to neutral, and stabilize it then apply inversion and eversion to assess subtalar ROM).N.B: note if painful or painless
Supine Special tests Anterior drawer test with ankle in planterflexion to evaluate anterior talofibular ligament
Supine Special tests Achilles tendon test: Thompson test.
Neurovascular examination