Hip
Intra-Articular
Evidence: suggestive
Log Roll Test Special Test
Orthopedic Physical Examination & Clinical Assessment Guide
What is it used for?
- Screening for intra-articular hip pathology (synovitis, infection, fracture) without stressing muscles.
How to Perform
- Position: Patient lies supine with legs extended and relaxed.
- Action: Examiner passively rolls the thigh internally and externally (like rolling a log).
Interpretation of Results
- Positive Test: Pain (Intra-articular pathology), Clicking (Labral tear), or excessive excursion (Ligamentous laxity).
Clinical Context & Limitations
The Log Roll Test should be considered as one component of a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment. No single special test has perfect diagnostic accuracy; thus, clinical decision-making should integrate test results with patient-reported symptoms, mechanism of injury, functional impairment, and relevant imaging.
Clinicians should be aware of potential false-positive results in patients with pain sensitisation, muscle guarding, or poor relaxation. For the Hip region, combining the Log Roll Test with complementary examination tests significantly improves overall diagnostic confidence.
References
- Magee, D. J. (2021). Orthopedic Physical Assessment.
