Table 5 Patho-anatomical approach: within 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
Within the triangle	Iliopsoas syndrome	Pain above and below inguinal ligament—associated snapping at hip joint	Thomas test, modified32	Ultrasound scan dynamic view of snapping48 with or without injection53
	Iliopsoas syndrome		Thomas test, modified32	Magnetic resonance imaging
	Rectus femoris tendinopathy/apophysitis	Does knee movement affect pain?	Rectus femoris contracture test54	Plain x ray, ultrasound scan48
	Rectus femoris tendinopathy/apophysitis	Does knee movement affect pain?	Rectus femoris contracture test54	Magnetic resonance imaging
	Femoral hernia	Painful lump inferomedial to pubic tubercle	Minimal relationship to exercise	Ultrasound scan17
	Femoral hernia	Painful lump inferomedial to pubic tubercle	Minimal relationship to exercise	Herniography42
	Nerve entrapment	Altered skin sensation	Dysaesthesia/hyperaesthesia over area of skin supplied by nerve in question8	Relief of pain by local anaesthetic infiltration27
	Genitofemoral nerve (femoral branch)			Relief of pain by local anaesthetic infiltration27
	Medial femoral cutaneous nerve			Nerve conduction studies7