Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center

 

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Finkelstein's Test

Examination type Passive Range of Motion
Patient & Body Segment Positioning Patient sits or stands and forms a fist with the fingers around the thumb of the same hand
Examiner Position Examiner stands with the one hand grasping the subject’s forearm to stabilize it and the other hand grasping the subject’s fist.
Performing the Test The examiner stabilizes the forearm with the one hand and ulnarly deviates the subject’s wrist to 30 degrees with the other hand
Tissues Being Tested Abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons
Positive Test Patient will feel pain over the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons at the wrist
Interpretation Indicative of paratenonitis, De Quervain’s disease, and Hoffman’s disease
Common errors in performing exam Deviating the wrist in the wrong direction; Patient applying force to the test when it should be performed passively
Factors possibly resulting in misinterpretation De Quervain’s tenosynovitis must be differentiated from degenerative arthritis and trapeziometacarpal joint by doing the Grind Test. Finkelstiein’s Test can also cause some discomfort in normal individuals.  Therefore the examiner should compare the pain caused on the affected side with that of the unaffected side.
Related tests Hitchhiker’s Test, Grind Test
References

Konin. Special Test for Orthopedic Examination. 2nd Ed. 2002. pp.103.

Magee. Orthopedic Physical Assessment. 4th Ed. 2002. pp.396.

Links:

http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/finkelsteins_test_and_the_grind_test

http://www.fpnotebook.com/ORT76.htm

http://www.eorthopod.com/area/10

http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/08/13/26.html

http://www.davidlnelson.md/DeQuervain.htm

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