Joint line tenderness
For: Meniscal tear
A tear in a meniscus, one of the two C-shaped cartilage pads between the thigh bone and the shin bone. Can follow a twist or develop with age.
A weak test on its ownWhat the numbers mean
- Positive result: a small shift: a positive result nudges the diagnosis up, but does not settle it.
- Negative result: a small shift: a negative result nudges the diagnosis down, but does not exclude it.
Source
Meserve BB, Cleland JA, Boucher TR. A meta-analysis examining clinical test utilities for assessing meniscal injury. Clin Rehabil. 2008;22(2):143–161. PubMed · meta-analysis
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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One study, one test, once a month
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.