Standing, sitting or supine
If you wish to palpate on the skin, provide a private room or a sheet for cover. If you think this is necessary, ask the patient if he/she is willing to uncover the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) area. While the skin can not be viewed with clothes covering the area, the tensor fascia lata should be palpable over clothing.
Anterolateral to the patient.
Please stand (or sit or lie on your back). May I touch the front of your hip bone? (or point to the demonstrated area). Now please bend your hip, bend your knee and swing your leg below your knee away from your body (or demonstrate, which is much easier).
Guide the patient to stand (or sit or lie on his/her back). With the patient relaxed and with permission, place
your fingers on the ASIS and area distally and laterally to the ASIS. Ask the patient to flex, abduct and
medially rotate the hip and palpate the tensor fascia lata. With unclear muscle activity (more likely in
lying supine), increase the contraction of the tensor fascia lata by asking the patient to flex and
medially rotate the hip while you provide a push on the distal thigh in the direction of hip extension
and a push on the leg in the direction of hip lateral rotation. For the supine position, the knee can
be extended instead or flexed.
VH - Tensor fascia lata