Table 4 Patho-anatomical approach: lateral to the groin triangle (diagnoses appear in order of frequency in an athletic population)

Define and align	Pathology	Listen and localise	Palpate and re-create	Alleviate and investigate
Lateral to triangle	Impingement/labral pathology, femoro-acetabular joint	Mechanical signs, clicking in joint and/or catching	Impingement test44	Magnetic resonance imaging, arthrogram45
	Osteoarthritis/chondral damage, femoro-acetabular joint	History of traumatic/congenital insult. Older age group	Limited range of movement,46 pain on weight bearing	Plain film x ray, magnetic resonance imaging33
		Persistent lateral hip pain worse on lying on affected side	Pain on transition between lying/standing47	Ultrasound.48 Relief of pain by ultrasound-guided local anaesthetic injection
	Iliotibial band friction syndrome	External “snapping” and/or lateral knee pain	Re-create snapping49	Ultrasound48
	Iliotibial band friction syndrome	External “snapping” and/or lateral knee pain	Ober’s test32	Ultrasound48
	Stress fracture neck of femur	Heavy training load, biomechanical/gait abnormality	Hop test,50 fulcrum test51	Plain film x ray, Magnetic resonance imaging33
	Nerve entrapment; lateral cutaneous femoral nerve/meralgia paraesthetica	Exercise induced, obesity52	Reproduction of symptoms on pressure inferior to anterior superior iliac spine52	Nerve conduction studies7