Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jun 23;3(3):26350254231168161.
doi: 10.1177/26350254231168161. eCollection 2023 May-Jun.

Comprehensive Physical Examination of the Hip

Affiliations

Comprehensive Physical Examination of the Hip

Joseph S Tramer et al. Video J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: Hip pain is a common chief complaint among sports medicine patients, and there is a wide variety of pathology that may cause pain around the hip joint.

Indications: Any patient presenting to a clinic with a complaint of hip and groin pain should undergo a comprehensive physical examination to aid in diagnosis and treatment planning.

Technique description: All patients presenting with hip pain, regardless of the complaint, undergo a screening examination to further identify potential etiology of their pain. Based on the screening examination, as well as a comprehensive history and imaging findings, more specific examination maneuvers may be conducted to further establish an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Conclusion: Hip pain presents a diagnostic challenge for sports medicine providers, as there is a wide range of pathology that may manifest as pain around the hip joint. It is vital for all sports providers, regardless of the area of interest, to have the ability to perform a comprehensive physical examination of the hip to obtain an accurate diagnosis and to initiate appropriate treatment plans.

Patient consent disclosure statement: The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.

Keywords: femoroacetabluar impingement; groin; hip; hip instability; physical examination; snapping hip.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: M.R.S. is a consultant for Medacta, Smith and Nephew, Subchondral Solutions, Marrow Access Technologies, and MiCare; received research support from Smith and Nephew; and received royalties from Lippincott, Elsevier, DJO, Blossum Hill, Smith and Nephew, and Top Shelf Inc. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Figures

Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
This is a visual representation of the abstract.

References

    1. Buckthorpe M, Stride M, Villa FD. Assessing and treating gluteus maximus weakness: a clinical commentary. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2019;14(4):655-669. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Domb BG, Brooks AG, Byrd JW. Clinical examination of the hip joint in athletes. J Sport Rehabil. 2009;18(1):3-23. - PubMed
    1. Hoppe DJ, Truntzer JN, Shapiro LM, Abrams GD, Safran MR. Diagnostic accuracy of 3 physical examination tests in the assessment of hip microinstability. Orthop J Sports Med. 2017;5(11):2325967117740121. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mills M, Frank B, Goto S, et al.. Effect of restricted hip flexor muscle length on hip extensor muscle activity and lower extremity biomechanics in college-aged female soccer players. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2015;10(7):946-954. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources