Ballottement Today

The clinician inserts two fingers into the vagina and gives a sharp upward tap against the lower segment of the uterus. If the fetus is present and not yet engaged in the pelvis, it will float upward and then fall back, tapping against the clinician’s fingers.

(from the French ballotter , meaning "to toss about") is a medical physical examination technique used to detect floating objects within a fluid-filled cavity. It is most commonly applied in orthopedics to check for knee swelling, in obstetrics to assess pregnancy, and in general medicine to evaluate abdominal organs. 1. Patellar Ballottement (Knee Effusion Test) ballottement

This is the most frequent use of the term. It is used to identify a "floating" kneecap, which indicates a moderate-to-large accumulation of fluid (effusion) within the knee joint. The clinician inserts two fingers into the vagina