The FABER (Flexion, ABduction and External Rotation) test and also sometimes called the Patrick test) is a diagnostic test for pathology of the hip joint or sacroiliac joint.
It is done by having the leg flexed and thigh abducted and externally rotated with the patient lying supine. The knee and hip are flexed to 90 degrees and the foot of the examined extremity is placed on top of the opposite knee (“figure 4” position). The thigh is then gradually abducted and externally rotated toward the examining table.
Interpretation
pain elicited anteriorly on the ipsilateral side suggests hip joint disorder
pain elicited posteriorly on the ipsilateral side around the sacroiliac joint may suggest pathology in the sacroiliac joint
History and etymology
The Patrick test is named after Hugh Talbot Patrick (1860-1938), an American neurologist 3.