Sidelying
If you wish to palpate on the skin, provide a private room and/or sheet for cover. Ask the patient if he/she is willing to wear shorts and allow direct palpation on the skin. Provide a towel for between the lower limbs if the shorts have wide pant legs and the patientÃs modesty is compromised. While the skin can not be viewed with clothes covering the area, the hip adductor muscle group should be palpable over clothing.
Posterior to the patient as the patient is in sidelying.
Please lie on your side. May I touch the inside of your thigh on your bottom leg? (or point to the demonstrated area). I am going to raise your top leg and hold it. Now please raise your bottom leg.
Guide the patient to lie on his/her side. Raise the whole top lower limb and hold it. With the patient relaxed and with permission, place your fingers on the medial thigh of the bottom lower limb. Ask the patient to adduct the bottom hip and palpate the hip adductor group. With unclear muscle activity, increase the contraction of the hip adductor muscle group by asking the patient to hold while you provide a push on the bottom thigh in the direction of hip abduction.
VH - Hip adductor muscle group and tendons