Anterior Impingement Test (Molloy-Bendall) Special Test
Orthopedic Physical Examination & Clinical Assessment Guide
What is it used for?
- Diagnosing Anterior Ankle Impingement (Footballer's Ankle).
- Identifying soft tissue or bony entrapment at the anterior joint line.
How to Perform
- Position: Patient is seated.
- Action: The examiner firmly palpates the anterolateral ankle joint line with the thumb.
- Movement: While maintaining pressure, quickly and passively move the ankle from plantar flexion into full forced dorsiflexion.
Interpretation of Results
- Positive Test: Sharp, localized pain at the site of compression, often accompanied by a feeling of blocking.
Diagnostic Accuracy
- Sensitivity: 94%
- Specificity: 75%
Clinical Context & Limitations
The Anterior Impingement Test (Molloy-Bendall) should be considered as one component of a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment. No single special test has perfect diagnostic accuracy; thus, clinical decision-making should integrate test results with patient-reported symptoms, mechanism of injury, functional impairment, and relevant imaging.
Clinicians should be aware of potential false-positive results in patients with pain sensitisation, muscle guarding, or poor relaxation. For the Ankle & Foot region, combining the Anterior Impingement Test (Molloy-Bendall) with complementary examination tests significantly improves overall diagnostic confidence.
References
- Magee, D. J. (2021). Orthopedic Physical Assessment (7th ed.). Elsevier.
