Manual Muscle Testing: Hip External Rotation

Muscles Involved:

Gluteus Maximus

Piriformis

Quadratus Femoris

Obturator Externus

Obturator Internus

Gemellus Superior

Gemellus Inferior

Patient Positioning

• Grades 3 to 5 - Patient is in short sitting on plinth with test-side knee flexed to 90 degrees, Ideally the foot should be suspended off the floor i.e. sitting on edge of high plinth
• Grades 0-2 - Patient is in prone with knee flexed to 90 degrees

Joint start Position

The hip should be in a neutral position between the available range of internal rotation and external rotation. This can sometimes be challenging to achieve.

Therapist Position

• Therapist to kneel beside the patient and stabilise at the distal thigh laterally.
• Therapist to stand on test-side if in prone

To Test

• Patient actively externally rotates the hip
• For grades 4 to 5 apply resistance through the medial ankle through range in a direction opposite to external rotation