Handheld device quantifying anterior tibial translation in millimetres.
The KT-1000 is a handheld mechanical arthrometer that applies a standardised anterior-directed force to the tibia while the femur is stabilised, then reads the resulting anterior tibial displacement off a dial. It converts the manual Lachman test into a numeric, side-to-side comparable measurement of anteroposterior knee laxity.
It gives clinicians and researchers an objective figure to track ACL graft integrity over time, rather than relying solely on the examiner's feel for endpoint quality. A side-to-side difference beyond an accepted threshold (commonly cited around 3mm) is often used alongside clinical judgement to flag possible graft laxity or failure and to inform return-to-sport or revision discussions.
The patient lies supine with the knee flexed to around 20-30 degrees on a stabilising thigh pad; the device is strapped to the tibia with reference pads over the tibial tuberosity and joint line. The examiner applies a set force (typically 15lb, sometimes stepped up to 20 or 30lb) to draw the tibia forward, and displacement is read from the dial and compared between the injured and uninjured limb.
Readings are operator-dependent, sensitive to pad placement, patient muscle guarding, and consistency of applied force, so values can vary between examiners and even between sessions with the same examiner. It measures translational laxity only, so a normal KT-1000 result does not rule out rotational instability, which is better captured clinically by the pivot-shift test.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.