Yeoman’s Test is a prone pain provocation test commonly used in sacroiliac-region assessment. It combines hip extension with pelvic or sacral stabilisation to load the anterior pelvis, anterior hip region and sacroiliac-region tissues. A positive test is reproduction of the client’s familiar posterior pelvic, sacroiliac-region, buttock or anterior hip-related symptoms, depending on the symptom location and test variation used. The test does not confirm SIJ pathology on its own and should be interpreted with lumbar assessment, hip assessment, SIJ provocation clusters and symptom history.
Yeoman’s Test is commonly taught as a sacroiliac joint provocation test. In a typical version, the client lies prone while the professional flexes the knee and extends the hip, often with stabilisation over the pelvis or sacrum. This position may stress the anterior sacroiliac ligament region, anterior hip structures, lumbar extension-sensitive tissues and surrounding pelvic soft tissues.
Because several regions can be loaded during the test, interpretation must be cautious. Pain during Yeoman’s Test does not automatically mean the sacroiliac joint is the source of symptoms. The test may reproduce symptoms from the sacroiliac region, lumbar spine, hip joint, anterior thigh, rectus femoris, femoral nerve pathway or general tissue sensitivity.
A clinically useful Yeoman’s Test result depends on careful technique, symptom location, familiar pain reproduction and comparison with other findings. It should be recorded as part of a broader assessment rather than used as a stand-alone conclusion.
Test name: Yeoman Test
Also known as: Yeoman’s Test
Body region: Sacroiliac region, posterior pelvis, anterior hip and lumbar-pelvic complex
Purpose: Assess symptom response to prone hip extension with pelvic or sacral stabilisation
Commonly associated with: SIJ-region provocation assessment and anterior sacroiliac ligament loading
Positive finding: Reproduction of familiar SIJ-region, posterior pelvic, buttock or anterior hip-related symptoms
Negative finding: No reproduction of familiar symptoms
Best used with: Sacral Thrust, SIJ Compression, SIJ Distraction, Thigh Thrust, Gaenslen Test, lumbar screen and hip assessment
Key limitation: Exact diagnostic accuracy evidence for Yeoman’s Test appears limited.
Yeoman’s Test is a passive provocation test performed with the client lying prone. The professional flexes the knee on the tested side and extends the hip while stabilising the pelvis or sacrum. This creates a combined load through the anterior hip, anterior thigh, lumbar-pelvic region and sacroiliac-region tissues.
A positive finding is typically described as reproduction of familiar pain. The location of the reproduced pain matters. Posterior pelvic or SIJ-region pain may support further SIJ-region assessment, while anterior hip or thigh symptoms may suggest hip or anterior thigh structures need further evaluation.
Yeoman’s Test is used to assess whether prone hip extension with pelvic stabilisation reproduces the client’s familiar symptoms. It may be useful when a client presents with posterior pelvic pain, buttock symptoms, low back pain with suspected pelvic contribution, or symptoms that appear influenced by hip extension or lumbopelvic loading.
The test can also help guide further assessment. If symptoms are posterior pelvic and familiar, SIJ provocation clustering may be appropriate. If symptoms are anterior hip or thigh dominant, hip ROM, hip impingement tests, rectus femoris length or femoral nerve-related assessment may be more relevant.
Yeoman’s Test assesses:
Symptom response to prone hip extension
Tolerance to anterior pelvic and sacroiliac-region loading
Familiar posterior pelvic or buttock pain reproduction
Anterior hip or thigh symptom response
Lumbar extension sensitivity during prone positioning
Side-to-side symptom differences
Movement limitation, guarding or apprehension
It does not isolate one structure and does not confirm SIJ pathology, hip pathology or anterior sacroiliac ligament involvement on its own.
Yeoman’s Test may be useful for adults with low back, posterior pelvic, buttock, sacroiliac-region or anterior hip symptoms when the professional wants to observe symptom response to prone hip extension and pelvic loading.
It may also be useful in education settings for teaching symptom localisation and differential reasoning. It should be modified or avoided when prone lying, knee flexion or hip extension is not tolerated.
Use Yeoman’s Test when:
The client can safely lie prone
Posterior pelvic, SIJ-region, buttock or anterior hip symptoms are relevant
You want to assess symptom response to hip extension with pelvic stabilisation
The result will be interpreted with other lumbar, hip and SIJ findings
You can record symptom location and whether symptoms are familiar
You are using the test to guide further assessment rather than confirm a diagnosis
Use caution or avoid the test when there is recent trauma, suspected fracture, severe osteoporosis risk, recent lumbar, pelvic or hip surgery, severe hip extension pain, severe knee flexion limitation, high symptom irritability, worsening neurological symptoms, inability to lie prone, unexplained systemic symptoms or symptoms requiring urgent medical review.
Stop the test if pain increases sharply, symptoms spread significantly, neurological symptoms worsen, anterior hip pain becomes sharp, knee pain limits testing, the client guards strongly or the client asks to stop.
Yeoman’s Test requires:
Firm treatment table
Optional pillow under the abdomen or pelvis
Pain rating scale
Symptom-location recording method
Measurz app for structured documentation
Optional video for movement review
Optional MAT notes for related lumbar, SIJ and hip tests
Within Measurz, Yeoman’s Test can be recorded alongside Sacral Thrust, Sacroiliac Compression, Sacroiliac Distraction, Thigh Thrust, Gaenslen, lumbar ROM, hip ROM and functional movement findings. Measurz can also support structured notes, video review, inclinometer-based ROM measures and related assessment tracking across sessions.
Explain the test before beginning and gain consent. Tell the client that you will bend the knee and gently extend the hip while monitoring symptoms.
Record baseline symptoms before testing, including pain score, pain location and whether symptoms are currently present.
The client lies prone on a firm treatment table. The tested limb is relaxed. A pillow may be used under the abdomen or pelvis for comfort, but this should be recorded because it may change lumbar and pelvic loading.
Stand beside the tested limb. Position yourself so you can control the lower limb and stabilise the pelvis without excessive force.
One hand may stabilise the sacrum, pelvis or ipsilateral posterior ilium. The other hand supports the tested limb, often around the distal thigh or lower leg depending on the variation used.
Stabilise the pelvis to reduce excessive lumbar extension or pelvic rotation. The goal is controlled hip extension and pelvic loading rather than forced movement.
A common sequence is:
Flex the tested knee to approximately 90 degrees if tolerated.
Stabilise the pelvis or sacral region.
Slowly extend the hip by lifting the thigh from the table.
Monitor symptom location, intensity and familiarity.
Compare sides if safe and relevant.
The movement should be slow and controlled. Avoid forcing end-range hip extension.
Ask:
“Tell me where you feel the symptom.”
“Is this your familiar pain?”
“Does it feel like your usual pelvic, low back, buttock or hip symptom?”
“Tell me if the symptom spreads, sharpens or changes.”
“Tell me if the knee or front of the thigh becomes uncomfortable.”
A positive Yeoman’s Test is reproduction of the client’s familiar symptoms during prone hip extension with pelvic stabilisation. The symptom location should be recorded carefully.
Posterior pelvic or SIJ-region pain may support further SIJ-region provocation assessment. Anterior hip or thigh symptoms may suggest hip, rectus femoris, femoral nerve pathway or anterior thigh contributors should be explored.
A negative finding is no reproduction of familiar symptoms during the test.
Stop if pain increases sharply, symptoms spread significantly, neurological symptoms worsen, anterior hip pain becomes sharp, knee pain limits the test, the client guards strongly or the client asks to stop.
Do not force hip extension. Do not interpret any pain as SIJ pain without considering symptom location and related findings. Record the exact test variation used.
A positive Yeoman’s Test may suggest that prone hip extension with pelvic stabilisation reproduces a symptom relevant to the client’s presentation. The result is more meaningful when the pain is familiar, localised and consistent with the history and other findings.
A positive result does not confirm SIJ pathology, anterior sacroiliac ligament involvement, hip pathology or lumbar pathology. The test loads several regions at once, so interpretation depends heavily on symptom location and comparison with other tests.
A negative test means familiar symptoms were not reproduced during the tested movement. This may reduce suspicion that this specific loading position is relevant, but it does not fully exclude SIJ-region, hip or lumbar involvement.
At the time of writing, high-quality peer-reviewed diagnostic accuracy evidence reporting sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio or negative likelihood ratio for Yeoman’s Test as an exact stand-alone test appears limited.
This means diagnostic accuracy values should not be assigned to Yeoman’s Test unless a specific study reports the exact protocol, population and reference standard. Much of the stronger SIJ evidence relates to provocation test clusters rather than Yeoman’s Test alone.
For sacroiliac-region pain more broadly, evidence supports cautious use of clusters of SIJ provocation tests, such as distraction, compression, thigh thrust, sacral thrust and Gaenslen. These clusters appear more useful than isolated tests, although recent systematic review evidence still cautions that even positive clusters may not provide enough certainty to confidently identify the SIJ as the pain source.
Yeoman’s Test should therefore be interpreted as a symptom-provocation and assessment reasoning tool rather than a stand-alone diagnostic accuracy test.
Reliability evidence for the exact Yeoman’s Test appears limited. The test may vary according to knee flexion angle, hip extension range, pelvic stabilisation method, force applied, examiner strength and client symptom irritability.
Validity is limited because the test does not isolate the SIJ. It may load the lumbar spine, anterior hip, rectus femoris, femoral nerve pathway, sacroiliac-region tissues and surrounding soft tissues. A positive test indicates symptom reproduction during the movement, not confirmation of a specific anatomical structure.
To improve consistency, professionals should record the variation used, symptom location, side tested, hip extension range, knee flexion position, pelvic stabilisation and whether the pain was familiar.
Common errors include:
Forcing hip extension
Ignoring knee discomfort during the test
Assuming posterior pelvic pain confirms SIJ involvement
Assuming anterior hip pain confirms hip pathology
Not recording symptom location
Not stabilising the pelvis consistently
Allowing excessive lumbar extension or pelvic rotation
Using the test in isolation
Not comparing with lumbar, hip and SIJ cluster findings
Recording simply “positive” without explaining why
Limitations include limited exact diagnostic accuracy evidence, variable protocols, overlapping symptom sources and dependence on examiner technique.
Yeoman’s Test can help professionals observe how prone hip extension and pelvic loading influence symptoms. It may be useful when deciding whether to explore SIJ provocation tests, hip extension range, anterior hip symptoms, lumbar extension sensitivity or functional loading tasks.
It is also useful for teaching assessment reasoning because it shows why symptom location matters. The same test can reproduce different symptoms in different clients, and interpretation should change depending on whether the response is posterior pelvic, anterior hip, thigh-related or lumbar-dominant.
In Measurz, record:
Test name: Yeoman Test
Side tested
Client position
Pillow or support used
Knee flexion angle or approximate position
Hip extension range
Pelvic or sacral stabilisation method
Result: positive, negative, unclear or unable to test
Pain score before, during and after
Symptom location
Symptom quality
Whether symptoms were familiar
Anterior hip, thigh, lumbar or posterior pelvic symptom response
Guarding or compensations
Reason for stopping
Confidence in result
Related SIJ provocation findings
Related lumbar ROM and hip ROM findings
Retest date if relevant
Recording these details improves repeatability, communication, client education, assessment reasoning, team consistency and reporting quality.
Sacral Thrust Test
Sacroiliac Compression Test
Sacroiliac Distraction Test
Gaenslen Test
Thigh Thrust Test
Stork Test
Standing Flexion Test
Seated Flexion Test
Hip ROM Assessment
Lumbar Extension Test
Functional Movement Assessment
It is used to assess whether prone hip extension with pelvic stabilisation reproduces familiar sacroiliac-region, posterior pelvic, lumbar or anterior hip-related symptoms.
No. A positive result may support suspicion when it matches the client’s history and other findings, but it does not confirm SIJ pain on its own.
A positive finding is reproduction of the client’s familiar symptoms during the test. The symptom location should always be recorded.
A negative result means familiar symptoms were not reproduced during the test.
It can load the SIJ region, anterior hip, lumbar spine, rectus femoris and femoral nerve pathway, so pain location and related tests are important.
No. It should be interpreted with history, lumbar assessment, hip assessment and SIJ provocation testing.
Record side, knee position, hip extension range, stabilisation method, pain score, symptom location, familiar pain response and related findings.
Yeoman’s Test is a prone symptom-provocation test involving hip extension and pelvic stabilisation.
A positive result is familiar symptom reproduction, not confirmation of SIJ pathology.
The test may provoke symptoms from the SIJ region, lumbar spine, anterior hip or thigh.
Exact diagnostic accuracy evidence for Yeoman’s Test appears limited.
Measurz should capture side, position, movement range, symptom location, pain score, confidence and related findings.
Laslett, M. (2008). Evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of the painful sacroiliac joint. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 16(3), 142–152. https://doi.org/10.1179/jmt.2008.16.3.142E
Laslett, M., Aprill, C. N., McDonald, B., & Young, S. B. (2005). Diagnosis of sacroiliac joint pain: Validity of individual provocation tests and composites of tests. Manual Therapy, 10(3), 207–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2005.01.003
Saueressig, T., Owen, P. J., Diemer, F., Zebisch, J., & Belavy, D. L. (2021). Diagnostic accuracy of clusters of pain provocation tests for detecting sacroiliac joint pain: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 51(9), 422–431. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2021.10469
Szadek, K. M., van der Wurff, P., van Tulder, M. W., Zuurmond, W. W. A., & Perez, R. S. G. M. (2009). Diagnostic validity of criteria for sacroiliac joint pain: A systematic review. The Journal of Pain, 10(4), 354–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2008.09.014
van der Wurff, P., Buijs, E. J., & Groen, G. J. (2006). A multitest regimen of pain provocation tests as an aid to reduce unnecessary minimally invasive sacroiliac joint procedures. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87(1), 10–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2005.09.023
