McMurray's test
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.
Work out what a result means for your patient: probability calculator
Other tests in the library for meniscal tear
Source
Hegedus EJ, Cook C, Hasselblad V, Goode A, McCrory DC. Physical examination tests for assessing a torn meniscus in the knee: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2007;37(9):541–550. 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 6 October 2026.
Get the book for how to do and read each knee test with published figures, and which ones to trust for the ACL, meniscus and kneecap
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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