Trendelenburg Test as a Predictor of Pelvic Drop Associated With Hip Abductor Function in Young, Healthy Adults During Gait

Abstract

Objective

This study explored the link between hip abductor function, assessed through the Trendelenburg test (TT), and pelvic drop during walking and running across various terrains and speeds.

Methods

A sample of 19 healthy adults (11 females, 8 males; average age 24.4 years, height 1.74 meters, weight 72.5 kilograms) participated. The TT was conducted on both sides of each participant’s body, followed by walking at three speeds (self-selected, slow, fast) on 3 slopes (–10%, level, 10%) and running at 2 speeds (8 and 10 km/h) on the same slopes, using a motorized treadmill. Pelvic motion was captured with a 3D system to analyze maximum and minimum pelvic motion (P_MAX, P_MIN) and range of angular motion (P_ROM). Participants were divided into “positive” and “negative” groups based on TT results. Independent and paired t tests (with Bonferroni corrections), along with Pearson’s correlations, were used to analyze data.

Results

Significant differences in P_MAX and P_MIN were observed between the groups, with the “positive” group showing 5.3° and 5.9° less movement, respectively, than the “negative” group. However, no significant differences were found in P_ROM data between the groups across all gait tasks, and no correlation was identified between TT P_ROM data and P_ROM gait data in different walking conditions.

Conclusion

This study showed no association between the effects of hip abductor weakness (as identified by the TT) and pelvic mobility during walking and running gait in a healthy, young population. While the TT may serve as a valuable tool for identifying hip abductor weakness in a clinical setting, its direct applicability to predicting dynamic pelvic motion during walking and running remains limited.