Thigh Hip and Pelvis Examination
Thigh Hip and Pelvis Examination
Thigh Hip and Pelvis Examination
Patient begins in a supine position with his/her heels off the end of the table
Examiner holds the feet of the patient & places the thumbs over the medial
malleoli while providing slight traction on the legs
Examiner instructs the patient to flex both knees & hips to place the feet on
the table aligned next to each other (line up the medial malleoli)
Examiner instructs the patient to bridge his/her hips upward and then return
to his/her starting position
Patient is in a supine position with the heels off of the end of the table
Examiner "clears the hips" using the WeberBarstow Maneuver
Examiner passively extends the patient's legs & compares the position of the
medial malleoli
Examiner pulls the patient up to a longsit position from a supine position
Examiner observes the position of the medial malleoli for any change from
the starting position
Positive Test
distance from the ASIS to the crest (i.e., highest point) of the lateral malleolus
on each leg
Positive Test
Athlete is lying supine with his/her hip flexed to 45 & knee flexed to 90 and
both feet lined up next to each other (line up medial malleoli and 1st MTP
joints)
Examiner holds the athlete's feet to the table and instructs the athlete to
raise the pelvis up off the table and then lower the pelvis back to the table
Examiner observes the patient from the side (viewing both tibial tubercles)
for anterior positioning of one knee compared to the other
Examiner observes the patient from the front (viewing the top of both
patellae) for height differences of one knee compared to the other
Positive Test
Gaenslen's Test
Steps
Examiner stabilizes the athlete & applies pressure to the near leg, forcing it
into hyperextension
Positive Test
SI joint dysfunction
Athlete is supine
Examiner fully flexes the athlete's hip & knee
Examiner applies downward pressure along the femoral shaft while
repeatedly externally & internally rotating the hip with multiple angles of
flexion
Positive Test
SI Compression Test
Steps
Athlete is supine
Examiner applies pressure to spread the ASIS
Positive Test
SI pathology
SI Distraction Test
Steps
Positive Test
SI pathology
Athlete is sidelying with the test leg being the uppermost leg
Athlete's test leg is flexed at the hip to about 60 & the knee flexed
Examiner stabilizes the hip with one hand & applies a downward pressure to
the knee
Positive Test
Thomas Test
Steps
Athlete is supine with his/her knees bent at the end of the table
Examiner places one hand between the lumbar lordotic curve & the tabletop
Examiner passively flexes one of the athlete's legs to his/her chest, allowing
the knee to flex during the movement
Examiner observes the involved leg for movement
Positive Test
The knee of the leg on the table cannot flex past 90 (i.e. the knee of the leg
on the table will extend as the examiner flexes the contralateral hip); the
involved leg (i.e. the leg on the table) rises up off the table (i.e. the
contralateral hip to the one being moved will flex)
Rectus femoris tightness (the knee extends as the examiner flexes the hip);
iliopsoas tightness (the leg on the table will rise off of the table)
Athlete is supine with the foot of the involved side crossed over the opposite
thigh (figure4 position) & the leg resting in the full external rotation
Examiner has one hand on the opposite ASIS & the other hand on the medial
apsect of the flexed knee
Examiner applies overpressure at the knee & ASIS
Positive Test
Inability to lower the flexed thigh down to the level of the leg on the table; hip
joint pain; Sacroiliac pain
Ilipsoas tightness; hip pathology (groin or inguinal area pain); sacroiliac joint
pathology (pain during application of overpressure in the SI area)
Trendelenburg's Test
Steps
Athlete stands with the feet evenly distributed (i.e. approximately shoulder
width apart from each other)
Examiner sits or kneels behind the athlete
Examiner slightly lowers the athlete's shorts so that the examiner may
palpate the right & left PSIS and/or iliac crests
Examiner instructs the athlete to flex the hip thereby lifting the right (and
then the left knee) while observing the pelvis
Positive Test
The PSIS or iliac crest on the same side as the leg lifted will drop in relation to
the contralateral side
Hoover Test
Steps
Subject is supine while examiner cups both heels of the patient with their
hands
Subject is asked to perform a unilateral straight leg raise
Positive Test