Execution
- 1Position the patient prone with the test knee flexed to 90 degrees.
- 2Stand on the unaffected side and use the lower leg as a lever to externally rotate the hip.
- 3Place the other hand over the posterior aspect of the greater trochanter.
- 4Apply a posterior-to-anterior force through the greater trochanter while externally rotating the hip.
- 5Ask whether anterior hip pain, apprehension, or instability is reproduced.
Positive outcome
Reproduction of anterior hip pain, apprehension, or instability with posterior-to-anterior force and external rotation is positive. This hip microinstability test is different from the lumbar prone instability test. A clear positive is more useful for ruling in than ruling out microinstability.
Studies
| Study | Reliability | Sn | Sp | LR+ | LR− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoppe et al. (2017) | NA | 33.9 | 97.9 | 15.9 | 0.68 |
CommentHoppe’s prone hip instability test has very high specificity but low sensitivity. The large LR+ supports rule-in value when positive, but the study was single-center and needs external validation. A negative test does not rule out microinstability.
Moderate Clinical Value