(English captions by Andrea Matsumoto from the University of Michigan)
The Trendelenburg test assesses for hip stability.
The examiner sits behind the patient and places thumbs in the posterior superior iliac spines
and hands on the iliac crests to check for level height.
The patient then stands on one leg with the raised unsupported leg flexed at the knee
and hip.
In normal function, the unsupported pelvis elevates slightly, indicating the gluteus
medius muscle appropriately abducts the supported hip.
If the pelvis drops on the unsupported side or remains level, it's considered a positive
Trendelenburg, indicating a weak gluteus medius or intra-articular pathology in the supported hip.