Which test assesses tight gluteus medius and shows the iliac crest drops on the non-weight bearing side if positive?

• A. Ober's test
• B. Scour test
• C. Faber's test
• D. Trendelenburg's test

Answer: (D)

Trendelenburg testing evaluates the function of the hip abductors, mainly the gluteus medius and minimus, as you stand on one leg. Those muscles should pull the pelvis on the supported side upward and keep the iliac crests level. If the stance-leg abductors are weak, they can’t stabilize the pelvis, so the pelvis drops on the opposite, non-weight-bearing side. The visible sign is a lowering of the iliac crest on that side when the person stands on one leg, indicating weakness rather than tightness of the gluteus medius. This pattern can occur with issues such as injury to the superior gluteal nerve, a tear of the gluteus medius, or hip pathology. Other tests assess different aspects of hip function: Ober’s test looks for tight IT band/TFL; the Scour test checks for intra-articular hip pathology; and Faber’s test evaluates hip joint or sacroiliac problems, neither of which produce the classic Trendelenburg sign.