palpation
Last reviewed 01/2018
When examining the foot, palpation is first carried out when the patient is sitting. Feel for:
- tenderness
- diffuse or localised
- heel tenderness: Sever's disease, calcaneal exostosis, plantar fasciitis, pes cavus
- forefoot tenderness: metarsalgia, pes cavus and planus, gout, RA, Freiberg's disease, March fracture
- big toe tenderness: gout
- temperature:
- compare the temperature gradient between legs
- determine if there is a temperature gradient along the leg
- crepitus of joints
- swelling
- oedema
- lumps
- sensation: especially if the patient reports changes
- pulses:
- dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial
- popliteal and femoral