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Thomas test
System: Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs · All muscles, bones & joints signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
Lying on the back, the patient hugs one knee to the chest; if the other thigh rises off the couch, that hip has a fixed flexion deformity.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with flexion contracture of the hip, classically from hip joint disease or psoas irritation.
◈ Behind the name
Hugh Owen Thomas (1834–1891), Welsh orthopaedic surgeon, founder of British orthopaedics.
Related signs — Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs
Browse the T 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.