Pratt's sign is defined as squeezing of which area to elicit pain?

• A. Pratt's sign
• B. Homans' sign
• C. Trousseau's sign
• D. Allen's sign

Answer: (A)

Pratt's sign is about provoking pain by compressing the calf. The idea is that squeezing the posterior part of the leg (calf muscles) can elicit tenderness when a venous issue like deep vein thrombosis is present. This makes Pratt's sign a provocative test for DVT, in contrast to Homans' sign, which uses stretching of the calf with ankle dorsiflexion to elicit pain. The other signs test different issues—Trousseau's sign relates to hypocalcemia and sustained carpal spasm, while Allen's test assesses collateral arterial flow in the hand. So, the best answer is that Pratt's sign involves squeezing the calf to elicit pain.