OAK knee evaluation. A new way to assess knee ligament injuries.

The Orthopädische Arbeitsgruppe Knie (OAK) documentation is based on clinical evaluation during functional knee stability testing near extension and near flexion. Increased compartmental translations and rotations, which result from structural defects because of anatomic lesions in a given knee injury, are clinically evaluated. The synopsis of the clinically detectable abnormal knee motion is graphically documented. A clinically applicable grading system of the true and reversed pivot shift phenomena completes the assessment of compartmental knee instability. Important contributing factors such as the constitutional laxity, the morphotype, and the range of motion are registered on the documentation form. The evaluation form presents four categories that represent subjective, objective, and functional criteria reflecting the overall results of repaired ligaments. This evaluation format establishes selected criteria to compare results from different centers.