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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. 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).
Distraction tests: positive tests are rechecked when the patient's attention is distracted, such as a straight leg raise test; Regional disturbances: regional weakness or sensory changes which deviate from accepted neuroanatomy; Overreaction: subjective signs regarding the patient's demeanor and reaction to testing
This constitutes a positive Thomas test. [2] Sometimes, with a very flexible patient, the Thomas test will be normal despite a psoas dysfunction being present. However, in the patient with a normal hip joint, a positive test is a good indicator of psoas hypertonicity. [2] Other signs from the Thomas test:
A positive test indicates the increased likelihood that the abdominal wall and not the abdominal cavity is the source of the pain (for example, due to rectus sheath hematoma instead of appendicitis). [ 3 ] [ 4 ] A negative Carnett's sign is said to occur when the abdominal pain decreases when the patient is asked to lift the head; this points ...
A variation is to lift the leg while the patient is sitting. [41] However, this reduces the sensitivity of the test. [42] A Cochrane review published in 2010 found that individual diagnostic tests including the straight leg raising test, absence of tendon reflexes, or muscle weakness were not very accurate when conducted in isolation. [43]
Involuntary extension of the "normal" leg occurs when flexing the contralateral leg against resistance. To perform the test, the examiner should hold one hand under the heel of the "normal" limb and ask the patient to flex the contralateral hip against resistance (while the patient is supine), asking the patient to keep the weak leg straight while raising it.
The straight leg raise test is almost always positive in those with disc herniation, [5] and lumbar provocative discography may be useful to identify a specific disc causing pain in those with chronic high levels of low back pain. [47] Therapeutic procedures such as nerve blocks can also be used to determine a specific source of pain. [5]
The psoas sign, also known as Cope's sign (or Cope's psoas test [1]) or Obraztsova's sign, [2] is a medical sign that indicates irritation to the iliopsoas group of hip flexors in the abdomen, and consequently indicates that the inflamed appendix is retrocaecal in orientation (as the iliopsoas muscle is retroperitoneal).