The Pediatric Hip Physical Exam

Atraumatic hip pain in children is one of the most common orthopaedic complaints in this population. This review details the important elements of the pediatric hip physical exam and provides an overview of pertinent clinical exam findings in specific diagnoses of common pediatric hip pathology.

A thorough physical exam is critical for the diagnosis of pediatric hip pathology, as many conditions have exam findings that are very commonly associated with the pathology, if not pathognomonic for the disorder. Additionally, pediatric hip pathology is strongly age-related, so an understanding of typical exam findings and common hip conditions by age can be invaluable in forming a correct diagnosis. Inspection, palpation, range of motion, gait analysis, and provocative tests provide clues about potential diagnoses. Together with history and risk factors, pediatric clinicians can make appropriate diagnosis of pediatric hip disorders.