Standing, sitting, or lying supine
If you wish to palpate on the skin, provide a private room. If you think this is necessary, the patient is asked if he/she is willing to wear shorts, if needed, for direct palpation on the skin or for intervention. While the skin can not be viewed with clothes covering the area, the hip joint can be palpated to assess motion or pain response over clothing. Intervention for the hip may be possible over clothing.
Anterior, posterior or lateral to the patient, depending on patient position.
May I touch your thigh to guide motion in your hip? (or point to the area).
Please move your thigh forward then back, bring your thigh out to the side and then in toward the midline of your body, and then turn your leg inward and outward (or demonstrate, which is much easier).
With the patient relaxed, either demonstrate or guide the patient to do the following motions:
- Hip flexion and extension
- Hip abduction and adduction
- Hip joint medial and lateral rotation
VH ñ Hip joint