Hip Examination Flashcards
Systems used in otthopedic examination?
Look
Feel
Move
Special tests
General LOOK of patient?
- lying or sitting uncomfortably
- any walking aids present
General localized LOOK of patient?
local - hip, thigh, leg
1. Position.
2. Major deformity, swelling.
3. Extra: cast, splint, traction, dressing
General anatomic LOOK of the patient?
- Skin
- swelling, scars, color, hair, dryness - Subcutaneous
- LN, veins, nerves, tendons - Muscles
- bulk, wasting, twitches - Bones
- landmarks, swelling, angulation and deformity - Joints
- position, (hip too deep to see swelling)
Note: do not forget to look on the posterior side
Important considerations when looking at the hip?
- Amount of exposure
- Duration of exposure
- Persons present during exposure
- Place of exposure
- Attitude and behavior during exposure
Feel?
- Tenderness:
- Generalized
- Specific - Temperature
- compare distal/proximal, Rt / Lt. - anatomic
What do you feel anatomically?
- Skin
- dryness, hyper/hypothesia, scars - Subcutaneous
- LN, nerves, vessels, tendons, nodules - Muscle
- tone, bulk, twitches, gaps, tenderness - Bone: landmarks (ASIS, Gr Tr. , Isch. Tub.) tenderness, mass, crepitus
- Joint
- swelling, effusion, crepitation, synovial thickening, joint line tenderness (hip joint too deep to elicit)
Move?
- active
- passive
Note: Usually passive unless there is a specific reason:
- Need to assess the painless / painful range of motion
- Need to assess muscle power
Important things to note during movement of hip joint?
- Must differentiate between true hip joint motion and pelvic motion
- Must stabilize the pelvis in neutral position
State range of motion of movements?
Flexion - 0 to 140 degree
Extension - 0 to 15 degree
Abduction - 0 to 40 degree
Adduction - 0 to 30 degree
Internal rotation - 0 to 30 degree
External rotation - 0 to 45 degree
Circumduction -
Name the special tests of the joint?
- Thomas test
- Trendelenburgh test
- Leg length assessment
- Gait – walking
What is the Thomas test?
a test used to measure the flexibility of the hip flexor muscles
- its a test for hip flexor tightness
Describe the Thomas Test?
- patient is lying supine on a flat hard surface
- one knee is flexed and being held at the chest at the point where the lumbar spine is felt to flex
- the clinician assesses whether the thigh of the extended leg maintains full contact with the surface of the bed
What is a positive Thomas Test?
if the extended thigh is raised off the surface of the table
What does a positive Thomas Test mean?
indicates a decrease in flexibility in the rectus femoris or iliopsoas muscles or both
- in normal hip extension is only possible up to the neutral position 0 degrees (thigh lies on the table) and further flexion can tilt the pelvis further upright