Which of the following is NOT typically used as a meniscal test?

• A. McMurray
• B. Thessaly
• C. Joint Line Tenderness
• D. Varus stress test

Answer: (D)

Assessing meniscal injury relies on tests that load, compress, and shear the meniscus to reproduce symptoms. McMurray does this by combining knee flexion with tibial rotation and gradual extension, provoking a click or pain when a meniscal tear is present. Thessaly uses a weight-bearing twist with a small knee bend to stress the meniscus under load, often eliciting pain if a tear exists. Joint line tenderness points to involvement of the meniscus because the pain is localized along the joint line where the meniscal tissue resides.

The Varus stress test, on the other hand, is a ligamentous stability test. It applies a varus force to the knee to assess the lateral collateral ligament and posterolateral corner structures, not to diagnose meniscal pathology. A meniscal tear can sometimes coexist with ligamentous injury, but this test’s primary purpose is ligament integrity, not evaluating the meniscus.

Therefore, the test not typically used as a meniscal test is the Varus stress test.