Fitzgerald Test

Original Editor - Rachael Lowe Top Contributors - Rachael Lowe, Wendy Snyders and Rucha Gadgil

Purpose[edit | edit source]

The Fitzgerald test utilises two different test positions to determine if the patient has an anterior or posterior labral tear.

Technique[edit | edit source]

To test for an anterior labral tear, the patient lies supine while the physical therapist (PT) performs flexion, external rotation, and full abduction of the hip, followed by extending the hip, internal rotation, and adduction. To test for a posterior labral tear, the PT performs passive extension, abduction, external rotation, from the position of full hip flexion, internal rotation, and adduction while the patient is supine. Tests are considered to be positive with pain reproduction with or without an audible click[1] [2]. The Fitzgerald test has a sensitivity of .98[1][3].

Fitzgerald Test - Anterior Labrum video provided by Clinically Relevant

Fitzgerald Test - Posterior Labrum video provided by Clinically Relevant

Evidence[edit | edit source]

Sensitivity is reported to be 1.00.[4] For inter-rater reliability of the flexion-internal rotation-adduction-impingement test, which is described like the Fitzgerald test for anterior labral tears, Kappa was 0.58 with a 95% confidence interval of (0.29–0.87).[5]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Leiboid M, Huijbregts P, Jensen R. Concurrent Criterion-Related Validity of Physical Examination Tests for Hip Labral Lesions: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Manual Manipulative Therapy. [online]. 2008;16(2):E24-41.
  2. Lewis CL, Sahrmann SA. Acetabular labral tears. Physical therapy. 2006 Jan 1;86(1):110-21.
  3. Burgess RM, Rushton A, Wright C, Daborn C. The validity and accuracy of clinical diagnostic tests used to detect labral pathology of the hip: A systematic review. Manual Therapy 16 (2011) 318 – 326.
  4. Fitzgerald RH., Jr Acetabular labrum tears. Diagnosis and treatment. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1995:60-8 
  5. Narvani A, Tsiridis E, Kendall S, et al. . A preliminary report on prevalence of acetabular labrum tears in sports patients with groin pain. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthroscop. 2003;11:403-8