Lower limb muscle testing

Question 1

How do you conduct a hip flexor muscle test?

Answer 1

Instruct patient to lie supine and flex hip to 90o
Patient maintains contracted position or motion to flex hip towards torso
Examiner contacts around patient’s knee and pushes to extend leg

Question 2

How do you conduct a Gluteus Maximus Muscle test?

Answer 2

Instruct patient to lie prone and extend hip with bent knee
Examiner stabilizes patient around contralateral sacrum with indifferent hand
Patient maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes thigh down

Question 3

How do you conduct a Gluteus Medius Muscle Test (Posterior Fibres)?

Answer 3

Instruct patient to lie on side and lift leg into abduction with leg externally rotated behind them
Examiner stands behind patient and stabilizes trunk with indifferent hand if necessary
Patient maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes leg back to mid line and down into adduction

Question 4

How do you conduct a Gluteus Minimus Muscle Test?

Answer 4

Instruct patient to lie on side and lift leg into abduction with leg in midline
Examiner stands behind patient and stabilizes trunk with indifferent hand if necessary
Patient maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes leg down into adduction

Question 5

How do you conduct a TFL Muscle Test?

Answer 5

Instruct patient to lie on side and lift leg into abduction with leg internally rotated in front of them
Examiner stands behind patient and stabilizes trunk with indifferent hand if necessary
Patient maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes leg back to mid line and down into adduction

Question 6

How do you conduct a Quadriceps Muscle Test?

Answer 6

Instruct patient to lie supine with hip and knee flexed to 90o
Examiner contacts around patients shin and stabilizes around knee with indifferent hand
Examiner pushes shin down
Patient pushes leg up

Question 7

How do you conduct a Hamstrings Muscle Test (collective)?

Answer 7

Instruct patient to lie prone with knee flexed to 90o
Examiner contacts around patients calf and stabilizes around sacrum with indifferent hand
Examiner pulls shin down
Patient maintains contracted position

Question 8

How do you conduct a Gastrocnemius Muscle Test?

Answer 8

Instruct patient to lie prone and extend legs to straightened position
Patient points toes and maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes foot into dorsi flexion

Question 9

How do you conduct a Soleus Muscle Test?

Answer 9

Instruct patient to lie prone and extend legs to straightened position
Patient points toes and bends knee to 45o flexion and maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes foot into dorsi flexion

Question 10

How do you conduct a Tibialis Anterior Muscle Test?

Answer 10

Instruct patient to lie supine and extend legs to straightened position
Patient bends foot up into dorsi flexion and inversion and maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes foot into plantar flexion and eversion

Question 11

How do you conduct a Extensor Hallucis Longus Muscle Test?

Answer 11

Instruct patient to lie supine and extend legs to straightened position
Patient bends great toe up into dorsi flexion
Examiner pushes toe down into plantar flexion

Question 12

How do you conduct a Posterior Tibialis Muscle Test?

Answer 12

Instruct patient to lie supine and extend legs to straightened position
Patient points foot into plantar flexion and inversion and maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes foot into dorsiflexion and eversion

Question 13

How do you conduct a Fibularis Muscle Test (Collective)?

Answer 13

Instruct patient to lie supine and extend legs to straightened position
Patient everts foot to the lateral side and maintains contracted position
Examiner pushes foot into inversion