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Review
. 2025 Apr;49(4):891-897.
doi: 10.1007/s00264-025-06467-7. Epub 2025 Mar 7.

The Hip Abduction Maneuver (HAM) to diagnose meralgia paraesthetica

Caio Pina  1 , Vincent Martinel  2 , Omar Fata Nahhas  3 , Benjamin Ferembach  4
Affiliations
Review

The Hip Abduction Maneuver (HAM) to diagnose meralgia paraesthetica

Caio Pina et al. Int Orthop. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a compressive neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN), characterized by pain, paresthesia, and numbness in the anterolateral thigh. Despite its well-documented etiology, diagnosing MP remains challenging, as complementary tests such as electromyography (EMG) and ultrasound may yield normal results due to anatomical variations and the dynamic nature of nerve compression.

Objective: This study introduces the Hip Abduction Maneuver (HAM) as a novel diagnostic tool for LFCN compression and investigates its utility in clinical and intraoperative assessments METHOD: The maneuver, inspired by Hagert's triad, evaluates hip abduction weakness as a functional indicator of LFCN entrapment. MP can result from mechanical, metabolic, iatrogenic, traumatic, or anatomical factors. Compression occurs under the inguinal ligament, where orthogonal taping (OKT) can serve as a mechanical relief test to support diagnosis. HAM exploits afferent inhibitory responses, assessing hip abduction strength before and after decompression maneuvers. The Scratch Collapse Test (SCT) further improves diagnostic accuracy. The Hip Abduction Maneuver (HAM) and Orthogonal KinesioTaping (OKT) enhance the clinical assessment of meralgia paresthetica, particularly in cases with inconclusive imaging.

Conclusion: Their integration into preoperative evaluation and intraoperative validation may improve diagnostic precision and optimize surgical outcomes. Further studies are required to validate reproducibility and long-term efficacy.

Keywords: Hagert’s tetrad; Hip abduction maneuver; Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve; Meralgia paraesthetica; Orthogonal kinesiotaping; Scratch collapse test.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the image and video Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

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