What would a negative response during the obturator test indicate?

A negative response during the obturator test indicates that there is no pain when the examiner flexes the patient's hip and knee and then internally rotates the hip. This lack of pain suggests that there is likely no irritation of the obturator internus muscle or the surrounding structures. Typically, a positive response, which would involve pain in the lower abdomen, could be indicative of conditions like appendicitis or issues related to the pelvis, such as an abscess or injury involving the obturator internus muscle. A negative response helps to narrow down the differential diagnosis by ruling out such conditions that may cause referred pain in the region. Therefore, no pain during the obturator test is interpreted as a negative finding, suggesting that there are no acute issues involving the structures that the test assesses.