Manual Muscle Testing: A Clinician’s Guide

Perform the teres major manual muscle test with the shoulder in adduction, internal rotation, and extension, hand on the posterior iliac crest, then apply abduction and external rotation while palpating.

Test the anterior deltoid flexion and abduction with rotation, applying extension force to isolate its action while palpating for firing and preventing trapezius substitution, noting axillary nerve and c4-c5 innervation.

Test Latissimus dorsi, a broad muscle originating from T7–T12, lower ribs, thoracolumbar fascia, and iliac crest, with the patient prone, performing internal rotation, adduction, and extension while applying abduction force.

Test the brachioradialis with forearm in neutral and elbow flexed under 90 degrees, palpating the muscle as you apply elbow extension; note radial nerve innervation at C6 and C7.

Learn the manual muscle test for the gluteus minimus, including origin, insertion, actions (abduction, hip flexion, internal rotation), palpating, applying force, and assessing hip stability.

Demonstrates a hip internal rotation test for medial rotators, targeting the gluteus medius anterior fibers, tensor fascia lata, and gluteus minimus, with distal femur stabilization and tibial anchoring.

Master manual muscle testing of hip adductors by examining five hip adductor muscles, using a sideline test, and reviewing each muscle’s origin and insertion.

Describe the pectineus, a hip adductor: origin at the superior pubic ramus, insertion on the pectineal line of the femur, and innervation by the femoral and obturator nerves (L2–L4).

Assess the sartorius muscle with a manual muscle test in a supine patient, focusing on hip flexion, abduction, external rotation, and knee flexion to evaluate hip and knee stability.

Explore the hamstrings anatomy, including semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris, their origins, insertions, and actions, and learn knee flexion testing with hip rotation to isolate muscles.

Perform a manual muscle test of tibialis posterior in supine, stabilizing above the ankle to assess plantar flexion and inversion, then resist dorsiflexion and eversion, monitoring tibial nerve involvement.

Assess the tibialis anterior with a manual muscle test to evaluate dorsiflexion and inversion, applying plantarflexion and eversion resistance, noting deep peroneal nerve (l4, l5, s1) supply.