Question

A patient presented to the OPD with an abnormal gait. On examination, a right-sided hip drop was observed when the patient was asked to stand on the left foot. Which of the following muscles are paralyzed in this patient?

• A. Right gluteus maximus and gluteus medius
• B. Right gluteus medius and gluteus minimus
• C. Left gluteus maximus and gluteus medius
• D. Left gluteus medius and gluteus minimus

Hint:

The hip drop test is a simple clinical test to assess for weakness of the hip abductors. A positive test suggests paralysis of the gluteus medius and minimus on the opposite side.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The "hip drop test" is used to assess the strength of the hip abductors, specifically the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles. In this test, the patient is asked to stand on one leg. A positive test result, which involves a hip drop on the opposite side, indicates weakness or paralysis of the hip abductors on the weight-bearing side. In this case, the patient exhibits a right-sided hip drop when standing on the left foot. This indicates paralysis or weakness of the left gluteus medius and left gluteus minimus muscles, which are responsible for stabilizing the pelvis during single-leg stance. These muscles are innervated by the superior gluteal nerve, and weakness or paralysis results in the inability to maintain pelvic stability when standing on the opposite leg. Thus, the correct answer is Left gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.