Iliopsoas muscle- a hip flexor or a stabilizer?

[spekis]

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Hello everyone,
I'm a 3rd year physiotherapy student from Latvia who's just registered here and let me just say that the forums look great!

I'm thinking of writing my Bachelor's thesis on a subject of the ilioposas function. As far as I known there has been a controversy lately (and by lately I mean- in the last 10 years) on weather the primary role of the muscle is to flex the hip as most of the textbooks will say or to stabilize the pelvis. I've done a bit of a research myself and i did find a few studies on this subject but that's not enough for a proper "systematic review" type of study I'm planning to do.
So I was wondering if anyone has got some materials, evidence based studies or anything along the lines of it. That would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[mtm34]

Both- Without an illiopsoas you will not be able to flex the hip, especially with the trunk flexed (rectus femoris will be actively insufficient). With that said if this muscle is weak/imbalanced over time lower back pain will develop due to a prolonged non neutral pelvic tilt. I have seen a fair amount of runners develop illiopsoas tendinitis/bursitis over time and when it becomes weak it is also painful. A great/easy way to strengthen and isolate the muscle is a seated straight leg raise- from there you can work on functional core stabilization.

 

[jesspt]

With that said if this muscle is weak/imbalanced over time lower back pain will develop due to a prolonged non neutral pelvic tilt

Really? Evidence please. Or, at least let us in on your thought process to a greater degree, please.

I have seen a fair amount of runners develop illiopsoas tendinitis/bursitis over time and when it becomes weak it is also painful.

Or perhaps, once it becomes painful, the hip flexors become weak, no? What seems more likely?