Ely's test
System: Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs · All muscles, bones & joints signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
Lying face down, bending the patient's knee makes the hip on the same side flex and rise off the couch.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with tightness of the rectus femoris muscle at the front of the thigh.
◈ Behind the name
Leonard W. Ely (1868–1944), American orthopaedic surgeon.
Related signs — Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs
Browse the E section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.