Execution
- 1Position the patient supine near the end of the table.
- 2Ask the patient to flex the opposite hip and knee toward the chest to flatten the lumbar spine.
- 3Observe the test hip, thigh, and knee over the table edge.
- 4Record whether the test hip remains flexed, abducts, externally rotates, or reproduces anterior hip pain.
- 5Differentiate simple hip flexor tightness from familiar anterior groin pain or snapping symptoms.
Positive outcome
In the FAI / labrum context, reproduction of familiar anterior hip or groin pain during the Thomas position is considered positive. Hip remaining flexed may still indicate iliopsoas length deficit, but pain reproduction is the key FAI / labral interpretation. Snapping or iliopsoas symptoms should be documented separately.
CommentThis is the same basic procedure as thomas-iliopsoas, but the interpretive lens is different. In this FAI / labrum batch it is used to detect anterior hip symptom provocation or hip flexor / iliopsoas involvement, not simply iliopsoas length. Diagnostic accuracy as an FAI test is limited, so value remains low.
Low Clinical Value