Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center

  

Examination Links:

  • Alphabetical Listing
of Examinations
  • Head
    • Rhombterg
    • Neurological control
 - upper limb
    • Neurological control
 - lower limb
    • Tandem Test
    • Finger-to-nose test
    • Finger-thumb test
    • Hand flip test
    • Finger drumming test
    • Hand-thigh test
    • Past pointing test
    • Heel-to-knee test
    • Proprioceptive Movement
 Test
    • Proprioceptive Space Test
  • Cervical Spine
    • Spurling's Test
    • Distraction
    • Quandrant
    • Tinels' Sign
  • Thoracic Spine
    • Sagittal Plane ROM Test
    • Frontal Plane ROM Test
    • Transverse Plane ROM Test
  • Lumbar Spine
    • Straight Leg Raise Test
    • Sciatic Nerve Palpation Test
    • Bowstring Test
    • Slump Test
  • Shoulder
    • Apley Scratch Test
    • Apprehension Test
    • Relocation Test
    • Anterior Instability Test
    • Anterior/Posterior Translation
 Test
    • Sulcus Sign
    • Posterior G-H Instability Test
    • Inferior Drawer (Feagin) Test
    • Neer Impingement Test
    • Hawkins Kennedy
Impingement Test
    • Empty Can Test
    • Internal Rotation Strength
Test
    • External Rotation Strength
Test
    • Glenoid Labrum Clunk Test
    • Andrews Anterior Instability
Test
    • Anterior Drawer
    • Posterior Drawer
    • Prone Posterior Instability 
Test
    • Push Pull Test
    • Apprehension Test
    • Fulcrum test
    • Jerk Sign or Jahnke Test
    • Load & Shift Test
    • Acromioclavicular Joint
Stability Test
    • Cross Chest 
(Horizontal Adduction) Test
    • Sternoclavicular Joint 
Integrity Test
    • Speed's Test
    • Gilcrest's Palm-Up test
    • Ludington's Test
    • Drop Arm Test
    • Drop Sign
    • External Rotation Lag Sign
    • Internal Rotation Lag Sign
    • Gerber Lift-Off Test
    • O'Brien Test
    • Yergason Test
    • Biceps Load Test I
    • Biceps Load Test II
    • Winging Scapula Test
    • Adson Maneuver
    • Allen Test
    • Roo's Test
    • Halstead's Test
  • Elbow & Radioulnar
    • Valgus Test 00
    • Valgus Test 300
    • Valgus Test 900
    • Miking Sig
    • Cross Arm Valgus
 Stress Test
    • Varus Test 00
    • Varus Test 300
    • Tinel Sign
    • Lateral Compression Test
    • Valgus Extension Overload
    • Cozen Test
    • Mills Test
    • Distal Radioulnar Instability 
Test
  • Wrist
    • Finkelstein's Test
    • Anatomical Snuff Box
Compression Test
    • Phalen's Test or Wrist Press 
Test
    • Tinel Sign
  • Hand & Fingers
    • Murphy's Signr
    • Boutonniere Deformity Test
    • Mallet Finger Test
    • Flexor Digitorum Superficialis
 Test
    • Flexor Digitorum Profundus
 Test
    • Gamekeeper's Thumb Test
    • MCP Radial Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • MCP Ulnar Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • PIP Radial Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • PIP Ulnar Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • DIP Radial Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • DIP Ulnar Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • Bunnel-Littler Test
    • Retinacular Test
    • Allen Test
  • Sacroiliac Joint
    • Ipsilateral Prone Kinetic Test
    • FABER Test
    • Passive Extension & Internal 
Rotation of Ilium on Sacrum
    • Passive Flexion & External 
Rotation of Ilium on Sacrum
    • Passive External Rotation 
of Hip
    • Pelvic Rocking Test
    • Gapping Test
    • Prone Gapping (Hibb's) Test
    • Approximation Test
    • Squish Test
      Sacroiliac Rocking Test
    • Sacral Apex Pressure Test
    • Torsion Stress Test
    • Femoral Shear Test
    • Superoinferior Symphysis
Pubic Stress Test
    • Piedallu's Sign
    • Flamingo Maneuver or Test
    • Gaenslen's Sign
    • Mazion's Pelvic Maneuver
    • Yeoman's Test
    • Sit-up Test
  • Hip & Thigh
    • Scouring (Quandrant) Test
    • FABER Test
    • Trendelenburg Test
    • Craig's Test
    • Torque Test
    • Stinchfield Test
    • Thomas Test
    • Pirifomis Test
    • Sign of the Buttock
    • Ely's Test
    • Hamstring Contracture Test 1
    • Tripod Test
    • 90-90 Straight Leg Test
    • Phelp's Test
  • Knee
    • Gravity Sign
    • Active Posterior/Anterior 
Drawer Test
    • Posterolateral Drawer Test
    • Lachman
      • Tradiional
      • Thigh Assisted
      • Drop Leg
      • Table Side
      • Table End
      • Prone
      • Active
    • Posterolateral Drawer Test
    • Figure 4 Palpation
    • McMurray's Test
    • Apley's Grind Test
    • Lateral Compression Test
    • Medial Compression Test
    • Jerk Test of Hughston
    • Pivot Shift Test
    • External Rotation 
Recurvatum Test
    •  
  • Lower Leg
  • Ankle
  • Foot
    • Morton Test
    •  
  • Range of Motion
  • Goniometry
  • Manual Muscle Testing
  • Reflexes
  • Vital Signs
  • Body Composition

 

Homans' Sign
Examination type Vascular
Patient & Body Segment Positioning The patient should be short sitting on the table. The patients knee needs to go into extension and the foot go into dorsiflexion.
Examiner Position The examiner will be standing in front of the patient.
Tissues Being Tested The muscles in the lower leg will push on the veins, so the veins are being stressed secondary to the stress applied to the muscles around them.
Performing the Test In performing this test the patient will need to actively extend his knee. Once the knee is extended the examiner will then passively dorsiflex the patients foot. After the foot is dorsiflexed the examiner will then reach around with his free hand and palpate the belly of the calf in between the two heads of the gastrocnemius and ask the patient about tenderness.
Positive Test When deep pain is enlisted with doriflexion and palpation.
Interpretation A positive Homans’ Sign test means that the patient has deep vein Thrombophlebitis.
Common errors in performing exam One error that may occur is that the examiner will not dorsiflex the patient’s foot enough to get a correct interpretation. The knee of the patient must also be in full extension. T
Factors possibly resulting in misinterpretation If the patient does not know the difference between pain and a stretch. When the knee is extended and the foot dorsiflexed there will be a stretching of the calf muscle. If the patient does not know the difference between pain and a good stretch this could lead to a misinterpretation. There could also be a bruise on the back of the leg that could led to some misinterpretation
Related tests There are no related tests to the Homans’ Sign
References

Magee, David J, Orthopedic Physical Assessment

Hoppenfield, Stanley, Physical Examination of the Spine Extremities.

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