This increases the stretching of the nerve root and dura. In order to make this test more specific, the ankle can be dorsiflexed and the cervical spine flexed. However, this reduces the sensitivity of the test. Ī variation is to lift the leg while the patient is sitting. With the patient lying down on their back on an examination table or exam floor, the examiner lifts the patient's leg while the knee is straight.

The rest of this article relates to the passive version of the test. If carried out passively (also called Lasègue's sign, Lasègue test or Lazarević's sign), it is used to determine whether a patient with low back pain has an underlying nerve root sensitivity, often located at L5 (fifth lumbar spinal nerve). If the straight leg raise is done actively by the patient it is a test of functional leg strength, particularly the rectus femoris element of the quadriceps (checking both hip flexion and knee extension strength simultaneously).

The straight leg raise is a test that can be performed during a physical examination, with the leg being lifted actively by the patient or passively by the clinician. Straight leg test sometimes used to help diagnose a lumbar herniated discĭetermine if a herniated disc is the cause of leg pain

Sciatica leg test