Wrist & Hand
Nerve Compression
Evidence: suggestive
Froment's Sign Special Test
Orthopedic Physical Examination & Clinical Assessment Guide
What is it used for?
- Testing Ulnar Nerve motor function (Adductor Pollicis muscle).
How to Perform
- Action: Patient holds a piece of paper between the thumb and index finger (key pinch). Examiner tries to pull it away.
Interpretation of Results
- Positive Test: Patient flexes the thumb IP joint to hold the paper (compensating with Flexor Pollicis Longus/Median Nerve).
- Why: Weakness of the Adductor Pollicis forces the patient to use the flexor instead.
Clinical Context & Limitations
The Froment's Sign 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 Wrist & Hand region, combining the Froment's Sign with complementary examination tests significantly improves overall diagnostic confidence.
