Rebound tenderness

Rebound tenderness is a clinical sign that a doctor may detect in physical examination of a patient's abdomen. It refers to pain upon removal of pressure rather than application of pressure to the abdomen. (The latter is referred to simply as abdominal tenderness.)

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It represents aggravation of the parietal layer of peritoneum by stretching or moving.

Rebound is regarded as one of the classic local signs of peritonitis which differentiates it from diseases such as appendicitis. The others are tenderness and guarding.

However, in recent years the value of rebound tenderness has been questioned, since it may not add any diagnostic value beyond the observation that the patient has severe tenderness.

See also

• Abdominal exam
• Blumberg sign