Hip Examination

Question 1

Inspection

Answer 1

Front, Side and Back

anterior: pelvic tilt, joint deformity, wasting
Side: exaggerated lumbar lordosis
Posterior: Wasting of gluteal muscles

GAIT

Question 2

Special tests for Hip

Answer 2

Trendelenberg test - place hands on hips and ask patient to stand on one leg and observe the foot with the moved hip go up slightly

Thomas - Hand on lumbar spine and passively flex the hip as far as possible while observing contralateral hip

Question 3

Measurements

Answer 3

Apparent and True leg lengths

True - ASIS to medial maleolus
Apparent - xiphisternum to medial malleolus

Question 4

Feel

Answer 4

Temperature - upper thigh and greater trochanter
Palpate greater trochanter
Feel for any pain or tenderness

Question 5

Active Movements

Answer 5

Bring your knee to your hip as far as you can and then straighten it so its flat on the bed (flexion and extension)

Keep leg straight and move it outwards (abduction) then bring it back in and over the other leg (adduction)

Question 6

Passive movements

Answer 6

Bring their knee as close to hip as you can

One hand on ankle and one on iliac crest, brin gleg inwards towards the other leg

Bring leg away from body

Rotate leg

Question 7

Present for Hip

Answer 7

Today I met patient X and perfomed a hip examination. At rest and general inspection the patient was comfortable with no obvious signs of pathology. On palpation there was no tenderness and there was a full range of motion of all modalities tested. To complete my exam I would examine the knee and lumbar spine and would also conduct a full Neurovascular examination of the patients lower limb.