Axial compression pain is defined as pain triggered or exacerbated by axial compression of a body segment.
Clinical test
The patient lies supine, and the examiner grasps the distal thigh, which is slightly flexed at the hip joint and externally rotated, with both hands and applies axial compression.
If pain is provoked when the patient drops back from standing on tiptoe onto the heels, the axial compression pain test is considered positive[^1].
Interpretation
Groin pain suggests a hip joint disorder. In cases of disc pathology, rheumatic or inflammatory vertebral changes, patients report pain in the lumbar spine region. In patients with spinal metastases, axial compression pain may be considered a sign of instability[^1].