Ballottement Today

Suspected knee trauma, arthritis flare-up, or unexplained swelling. Technique:

Use one hand to firmly stroke downward from the mid-thigh toward the kneecap. This "milks" fluid out of the suprapatellar pouch and into the space behind the patella. ballottement

This test is highly specific for large effusions but may miss smaller amounts of fluid, which are better detected using the Bulge Sign . 2. Obstetric Ballottement Suspected knee trauma