Test: Obturator Sign

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Background/Purpose

Procedure

Patient is placed supine while the clinician supports the patients lower extremity. The hip and knee is flexed to 90 degrees. The sign is positive if internal and external rotation causes pain. This could indicate that there is an inflammatory process adjacent to the walls of the pelvis.Possible causes include appendicitis (right side), sigmoid diverticulitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or ectopic pregnancy.
Performed: Unilaterally

Dialog

Patient is placed supine while the clinician supports the patients lower extremity. The hip and knee is flexed to 90 degrees. The sign is positive if internal and external rotation causes pain.

Criteria

• No pain with inter and ext rotation.

Measurement

LOINC Code

0

Scale/Grading

Pass/Fail