Straight leg raise

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Template:Search infobox Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Synonyms and keywords: Lasègue's sign; lasègue test

Overview

The straight leg raise is a test done during the physical examination to determine whether a patient with low back pain has an underlying herniated disk.

Historical Perspective

It was named after Charles Lasègue (1816-1883).

Technique

With the patient lying down on a table, the examiner lifts the patient's leg while the knee is straight.

A variation is to lift the leg while the patient is sitting.[1] However, this reduces the sensitivity of the test.[2]

Interpretation

"The straight leg raise test is positive if pain in the sciatic distribution is reproduced between 30° and 70° passive flexion of the straight leg." [3]

A meta-analysis reported the accuracy as:[4]

If raising the opposite leg causes pain (cross straight leg raising):

References

  1. Waddell G, McCulloch JA, Kummel E, Venner RM (1980). "Nonorganic physical signs in low-back pain". Spine. 5 (2): 117–25. PMID 6446157.
  2. Rabin A, Gerszten PC, Karausky P, Bunker CH, Potter DM, Welch WC (2007). "The sensitivity of the seated straight-leg raise test compared with the supine straight-leg raise test in patients presenting with magnetic resonance imaging evidence of lumbar nerve root compression". Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 88 (7): 840–3. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2007.04.016. PMID 17601462.
  3. Speed C (2004). "Low back pain". BMJ. 328 (7448): 1119–21. doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7448.1119. PMID 15130982.
  4. Devillé WL, van der Windt DA, Dzaferagić A, Bezemer PD, Bouter LM (2000). "The test of Lasègue: systematic review of the accuracy in diagnosing herniated discs". Spine. 25 (9): 1140–7. PMID 10788860.

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