biology

Patrick's test

Patrick's test is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Patrick's test rather than just read about it. In short: Patrick's test or FABER test is performed to evaluate pathology of the hip joint or the sacroiliac joint. The test is performed by having the tested leg flexed and the thigh abducted and externally rotated.

Key takeaways

Patrick's test belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Patrick's test to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Patrick's test from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Patrick's test or FABER test is performed to evaluate pathology of the hip joint or the sacroiliac joint. The test is performed by having the tested leg flexed and the thigh abducted and externally rotated. If pain is elicited on the ipsilateral side anteriorly, it is suggestive of a hip joint disorder on the same side. If pain is elicited on the contralateral side posteriorly around the sacroiliac joint, it is suggestive of pain mediated by dysfunction in that joint.

History Patrick's test is named after the American neurologist Hugh Talbot Patrick.

See also Gaenslen's test Physical medicine and rehabilitation

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Patrick's test

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Patrick's test claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Patrick's test before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Patrick's test ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Patrick's test

In research: Patrick's test appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Patrick's test in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Patrick's test is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eponyms in medicine, Medical sign stubs, Orthopedic surgical procedures, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Patrick's test outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Patrick's test in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Patrick's test means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Patrick's test out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Patrick's test in simple terms?

Why does Patrick's test matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Patrick's test?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Patrick's test.