Diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests of the hip: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Various Hip Physical Examination (HPE) tests have long been used to diagnose innumerate intra-and extra-articular pathologies of the hip joint. Applicable clinical tests are therefore necessary to support diagnostic imaging and subsequent surgical decision making. The objective of the review is to summarise and evaluate the current research and utility on the diagnostic accuracy of HPE tests for the hip joint appropriate to sports related injuries and pathology.
A computer-assisted literature search of MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE databases (January 1966 to January 2012) was performed. Fourteen articles qualified for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis demonstrating most tests possessing weak diagnostic properties with the exception of the patellarpubic percussion test.
Few of the current studies are of substantial quality to dictate clinical decision-making. Presently only the patellar-pubic percussion test is supported by the data as a stand-alone HPE test. Further studies involving high quality designs are needed to fully assess the value of HPE tests for patients with intra- and extra-articular hip dysfunction. > From: Reiman et al. Br J Sports Med 47 (2013) 893–902. All rights reserved to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The Pubmed summary of the article can be found here.
