Test library › Foot, ankle & calf
Ankle impingement test (palpation + forced dorsiflexion/plantarflexion)
For: Anterior (anterolateral) ankle impingement
Pinching of thickened soft tissue or bony spurs at the front or front-outer corner of the ankle, often after an earlier sprain. Causes pain at the front of the ankle when the foot bends fully upwards.
Useful in both directionsLikelihood ratios calculated from the published sensitivity (94.8%) and specificity (88%); the study did not publish them.
These figures have not been confirmed against the full paper (checked against the abstract or a secondary source only).
What the numbers mean
- Positive result: a moderate rule-in: a positive result makes the diagnosis clearly more likely.
- Negative result: a strong rule-out: a negative result makes the diagnosis very unlikely.
Source
Molloy S, Solan MC, Bendall SP. Synovial impingement in the ankle. A new physical sign. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2003;85(3):330–333. Journal article (DOI) · single study
Figures as they will appear in Rule It In, Rule It Out (Trokos, forthcoming). If a newer or better study changes them, this page changes with the book. Figures last updated from the book on 2 October 2026.
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This page gives the published figures. Rule It In, Rule It Out adds how to do this test, what counts as positive, how to read the result, and, where studied, whether combining it with other tests helps.
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Rule It In is a free evidence letter for musculoskeletal clinicians: one recent study explained, one examination test with its real numbers. From Trokos, publisher of Rule It In, Rule It Out.