When Is Ballottement Used?

noun Medicine/Medical. a physical diagnostic technique used to detect solid objects surrounded by fluid, as abdominal organs or tumors, performed by suddenly compressing the fluid with the hand, causing the solid object to abut against the hand.

What is ballottement in pregnancy?

Medical Definition of ballottement

: a sharp upward pushing against the uterine wall with a finger inserted into the vagina for diagnosing pregnancy by feeling the return impact of the displaced fetus also : a similar procedure for detecting a floating kidney.

What is ballottement used for?

Purpose. The ballottement test also is known as the Patella tap test or the ballottement patella sign. Ballottement means “a tossing about.” and it was coined from a french word. The test is usually used to check for knee joint effusion.