Waldron Test
Purpose
Waldron’s test, also known as the squat test, helps detect patellofemoral joint problems. With the patient standing, place one hand over their kneecap (patella) and ask them to slowly perform several deep knee bends.[1]
Technique
Waldron’s test has two phases to assess patellofemoral joint issues:
Phase I: The patient lies on their back (supine). The examiner gently presses the kneecap (patella) against the thigh bone (femur) while passively bending the knee.
Phase II: The patient stands and performs a slow, full squat. During this movement, the examiner again applies gentle pressure on the patella.
In both phases, pain or a grinding sound (crepitus) at any point during the movement may indicate patellofemoral pain (PFP) syndrome.[2]
The video shows how to perform the test;
Evidence
Waldron's test shows moderate diagnostic accuracy:
- Phase 1: Sensitivity 60%, specificity 80%, positive predictive value (PPV) 85.7%, negative predictive value (NPV) 50%, and a kappa value of 0.348.
- Phase 2: Sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 60%, PPV 76.9%, NPV 47.4%, and kappa value 0.250.
These values suggest Phase 1 is slightly more specific and reliable than Phase 2, but both phases have moderate agreement with clinical diagnosis.[4]
References
- ↑ Waldron’s test - chiropractic online CE (2020).
- ↑ Halabchi F, Abolhasani M, Mirshahi M, Alizadeh Z. Patellofemoral pain in athletes: clinical perspectives. Open access journal of sports medicine. 2017 Oct 9:189-203.
- ↑ Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/kwVoW5wRIW4?si=OR-pMzvHjDoGcysN (Accessed: July 14, 2025).
- ↑ Arjun R, Kishan R, Dhillon M, Chouhan D. Reliability of clinical methods in evaluating patellofemoral pain syndrome with malalignment. International Journal of Research in Orthopaedics. 2017 May;3(3):334-8.