Special Tests in Orthopedics

Easily reference orthopedic special tests, organized by body region.

Clinicians employ many tools to help them accurately diagnose and rehabilitate orthopedic injuries. Special Tests in Orthopedics serves as a quick way for professionals and students to reference 214 different special tests organized by body region and diagnosis.

Each case is unique, and it’s important to know which tests should be used to positively identify a diagnosis. That’s why each test in this book features the psychometric properties for each assessment, including the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios where available based on current evidence. Tests also include color photos and written instructions on how they are performed.

Containing only the most essential information, this text is the perfect resource for clinicians to have at their fingertips. Organized by body region for easy navigation, readers can also refer to subcategories within each chapter to find tests designed for a specific diagnosis. Special test clusters are also included to aid in determining the diagnosis with a greater degree of confidence.

Written by the same author team as Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries, Fifth Edition, this guide provides convenient and condensed information and can be easily brought on clinical rotations. It is a perfect supplement for examination texts and can just as easily be used as a stand-alone resource for students and seasoned clinicians looking for a quick reference guide for orthopedic special tests.

Clinicians and students alike will appreciate Special Tests in Orthopedics the next time they are faced with a case on which they need a refresher or clarification.

Tamara C. Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAK, FNAP, is the chair, professor, and director of the department of athletic training at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona, where she serves as the John P. Wood, D.O., Endowed Chair for Sports Medicine.

McLeod was the founding director of the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network at A.T. Still University. As a researcher, McLeod has focused on the pediatric athlete with respect to sport-related concussions. She serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation and a senior editor of the Journal of Athletic Training.

McLeod is a certified athletic trainer and fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), where she has a long history of leadership and service. She is a contributing author for the NATA position statements on the management of sport-related concussions and the lead author on the NATA position statement on the prevention of pediatric overuse injuries. In 2016, McLeod was honored by NATA with the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award, and she received the Medal for Distinguished Athletic Training Research from the NATA Foundation in 2023.

McLeod is heavily involved in professional service with the Arizona Interscholastic Association; the NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Committee; and the Brain Injury Association of Arizona. In 2019, she received the National Achievement Award for Athletic Training from the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM) Society. She is also a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology and National Academies of Practice - Athletic Training.

Sandra J. Shultz, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAK, FACSM, is professor emerita and former chair in the department of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she served as codirector of the Applied Neuromechanics Research Laboratory and as director of the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness.

As a researcher, Shultz focuses on the study of risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury in female athletes and has received grant funding from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Research and Education Foundation, the National Football League Medical Charities, and the National Institutes of Health. She is the primary author of the NFHS’s Sports Medicine Handbook and the NATA’s Appropriate Medical Care for Intercollegiate Athletics. She has served as a senior associate editor for the Journal of Athletic Training and currently serves as an editorial board member for Sports Health.

Shultz is a certified athletic trainer and member of NATA, where she has a long history of leadership and service. Shultz was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2015. Her awards from the NATA and NATA Foundation include the Dr. Freddie & Mrs. Hilda Pang Fu New Investigator Award, the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award, the Sayers ＂Bud＂ Miller Distinguished Educator Award, and the Medal for Distinguished Athletic Training Research.

Shultz is a fellow of the NATA, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK).