The Circumduction Test is used to differentiate anterior labral tear from which other intra-articular pathology?

• A. Defect of articular cartilage of the femur or acetabulum
• B. Osteoarthritis of the hip
• C. Iliopsoas bursitis
• D. Femoral neck fracture

Answer: (C)

The test examines how different hip structures respond to a circular arc of motion. When you move the hip through flexion, abduction, extension, and rotation in one smooth arc, you’re loading the path of the iliopsoas tendon and its bursa anteriorly. If this motion reproduces anterior hip pain, it points toward iliopsoas bursitis because the bursa is directly stressed by that arc. A true anterior labral tear, by contrast, tends to produce pain related to within-jlened, deep groin irritation and mechanical symptoms that are more about labral interaction with the femoral head during rotation and loading, not the bursa under the iliopsoas. So, seeing pain with circumduction supports iliopsoas bursitis over an anterior labral tear. Other possibilities like cartilage defects, osteoarthritis, or a femoral neck fracture have distinct presentations and motion findings that aren’t as specifically triggered by this circular hip arc.