Evaluating Functional Performance Tests in those with Non-arthritic Intra-articular Hip Pain: An International Consensus Statement.
RobRoy L Martin, Amir Takla, Ashley Disantis and 12 others
PMID 38050542WHAT IT FOUND
Expert consensus recommends functional performance tests for non-arthritic hip pain at initial evaluation, re-evaluation, discharge, and return-to-sport testing.
Tests should be graded from low to sport-specific, chosen by patient goals, irritability, and impairments. This is expert opinion, not evidence tests work.
Key findings
01All 14 panelists reached consensus that physical therapists should use functional performance tests at initial evaluation, re-evaluations, discharge, and return-to-sport testing.
02Consensus was that tests should be part of a multimodal assessment and progressed in a graded way based on impairments, irritability, patient characteristics, and goals.
03The panel recommends choosing tests that challenge lumbopelvic and lower extremity neuromuscular control and categorizing them as low, medium, high, and sport specific.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The paper is an expert consensus statement, not a patient trial, so it does not show that these tests improve outcomes, predict pathology, or guide treatment better than usual care. The panel notes a lack of high-quality evidence for specific functional performance tests in non-arthritic intra-articular hip pain. The questions were generated by a selected group of 14 experts, which may bias the topics and recommendations. The panel may not represent all international opinions. All 14 panelists agreed, but agreement among experts is not the same as demonstrated clinical validity. The paper notes limited evidence that the tests are reliable, valid, and able to detect change. The listed tests are examples, and the paper does not provide a validated algorithm for selecting a test for every patient.
Declared interests
The authors report no affiliations or financial involvement with organizations having a direct financial interest in the topic, and no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this consensus as evidence that functional performance tests improve hip pain outcomes or that any single test is proven optimal. The paper reports agreement among 14 experts and notes limited high-quality evidence, so the recommendations are expert opinion rather than tested interventions.