How to elicit ‘sternal tenderness’ ?
Press the upper part of the body of sternum with the ball of the thumb for 2–3 seconds.
If sternal tenderness is present, the patient winces with pain or shows facial grimace.
Sternal tenderness is a vital clinical sign at the bedside, and is due to proliferation and
hypercellularity of bone marrow, which is present in conditions like:
Acute leukaemias (acute myeloid leukaemia/AML and acute lymphoblastic
leukaemia/ALL)
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
Severe anaemia due to any cause (except aplastic anaemia)
Secondary metastasis in bones and multiple myeloma
Rarely in osteomalacia and osteoporosis.
Press the upper part of the body of sternum with the ball of the thumb for 2–3 seconds.
If sternal tenderness is present, the patient winces with pain or shows facial grimace.
Sternal tenderness is a vital clinical sign at the bedside, and is due to proliferation and
hypercellularity of bone marrow, which is present in conditions like:
Acute leukaemias (acute myeloid leukaemia/AML and acute lymphoblastic
leukaemia/ALL)
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
Severe anaemia due to any cause (except aplastic anaemia)
Secondary metastasis in bones and multiple myeloma
Rarely in osteomalacia and osteoporosis.