Purpose: To determine if the hip is the source of the patient's symptoms.
Test Position: Supine.
Performing the Test: The affected limb is placed in adduction and a compression force is applied and maintained through the femur through a range of 70-140 degrees of hip flexion. The test is repeated in abduction. A positive test is a reproduction of the patient's worst pain that they came with into the clinic.
Diagnostic Accuracy: Sensitivity: .75; Specificity: .43; -LR: .58; +LR: 1.32 ("A preliminary report on prevlance of acetabular labral tears in sports patients with groin pain").
Importance of Test: This test works by scouring the femoral acetabular joint for pathology. The compression of the femur, through the various ranges, stresses the bone, labrum, cartilage, ligaments, etc. While this test has been labeled as the "hip clearing test," due to the low diagnostic accuracy, it should not necessarily be used as such. Consider the results of the rest of your exam when trying to determine the pathology.
Note: these tests should only be used by properly trained health care practitioners.
Reference: Narvani A, Tsirdis E, Kendall S, Chaudhuri R, Thomas P. "A preliminary report on prevalence of acetabular labral tears in sports patients with groin pain." Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2003; 11:403-408. Web. 08/25/2012.