Test library › Hip, groin & thigh
Resisted straight leg raise (Stinchfield test)
For: Intra-articular hip pain
Pain arising from inside the hip joint itself, such as osteoarthritis, a labral tear or femoroacetabular impingement, rather than from the tissues around it. Usually felt in the groin.
A weak test on its ownWhat the numbers mean
- Positive result: points slightly the wrong way: a positive result makes the diagnosis a little less likely.
- Negative result: points slightly the wrong way: a negative result makes the diagnosis a little more likely.
Source
Dhillon J, Hernandez EJ, Keeter C, Kraeutler MJ. Sensitivity and Specificity for Physical Examination Tests in Diagnosing Prearthritic Intra-Articular Hip Pathology Are Highly Variable: A Systematic Review. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2025;7(3):101117. Journal article (DOI) · Single study (2010), in a 2025 review
Figures as they will appear in Rule It In, Rule It Out (Trokos, forthcoming). If a newer or better study changes them, this page changes with the book. Figures last updated from the book on 2 October 2026.
Get the book for telling the hip joint from the lateral hip, and ruling out the runner's stress fracture first
This page gives the published figures. Rule It In, Rule It Out adds how to do this test, what counts as positive, how to read the result, and, where studied, whether combining it with other tests helps.
Coming in late 2026 as a PDF and a paperback. Join the list to hear when it's out
One study, one test, once a month
Rule It In is a free evidence letter for musculoskeletal clinicians: one recent study explained, one examination test with its real numbers. From Trokos, publisher of Rule It In, Rule It Out.