Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is a Straight Leg Test?Who Should Have a Straight Leg Test?Testing Nerve IrritationTesting the Extensor Mechanism
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is a Straight Leg Test?
Who Should Have a Straight Leg Test?
Testing Nerve Irritation
Testing the Extensor Mechanism
The straight leg raise test is done to gauge several aspects of your legs' strength and stability. It’s most often performed to check nerve and muscle function,and it may reveal why you’re unable to raise your leg.
This article takes you through what a straight leg raise test is, why it is performed, and common conditions diagnosed using it.
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The straight leg raise test is a commonly performed diagnostic maneuver used as part of a physical exam. It provides important information about lower body functionality and helps guide referral and therapeutic decision-making.
The test is typically performed while you lie flat on an exam table or bed. Either you or your healthcare provider then raises your leg, possibly with light resistance, to assess the leg’s strength and performance capability.
Physical Therapy for Knee Pain
A straight leg raise test can help diagnose multiple conditions, like lumbar disc issues, nerve root irritation, and muscle tightness or injury. It is typically used when people present with low back pain and nerve pain that radiates down the leg.
Performing this maneuver helps to determine whether imaging may be necessary (e.g.,X-rays,MRI) and any potential need for a specialist.
The straight leg test can be altered to test sciatic nerve function rather than muscle and tendon function. The sciatic nerve exits from the lumbar spine (lower back), and then passes behind the hip and down the back of your leg.
Conditions that cause sciatic nerve irritation include:
Rather than having you attempt the leg raise, the examiner lifts your heel with the knee in a straight position. When it’s as high as possible, the examiner points your toes toward your head.
This stretches the nerve and can recreate symptoms of nerve pain going down the leg. This type of test is called a tension sign and can be very helpful in determining the best treatment for a nerve condition.
The Sciatic Nerve and What It Does
The straight leg raise test can be used to assess the function of the quadriceps muscle and its attachment to the shin bone.
If you have a condition such as a torn quadriceps tendon or a patella fracture, you’ll likely be unable to perform this maneuver.
Because of the disruption of the extensor mechanism, despite your effort to lift the leg, there is nothing to pull against, and therefore you can’t perform this function. A straight leg raise test is the key diagnostic test to assess for these conditions.
A test is positive when it recreates pain below your knee. Feeling tightness in the hamstring muscle is not considered a positive test.
Function of the Quadriceps Muscles
Summary
The straight leg raise test is a maneuverability test that gauges strength and stability. If you are unable to raise your leg, this test may be a key factor in your diagnosis. It is relatively simple to perform and helps determine the need for further testing or possible referral to a specialist.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.EBM Consult.Straight Leg Raising Test.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated Disc.Emergency Medicine Cases.Episode 58 – Commonly Missed Uncommon Orthopedic Injuries, Part 2.Zuke WA, Go B, Weber AE, Forsythe B.Quadriceps tendon rupture in an adolescent athlete.Case Rep Orthop. 2017;2017:2718013. doi:10.1155/2017/2718013
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.EBM Consult.Straight Leg Raising Test.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated Disc.Emergency Medicine Cases.Episode 58 – Commonly Missed Uncommon Orthopedic Injuries, Part 2.Zuke WA, Go B, Weber AE, Forsythe B.Quadriceps tendon rupture in an adolescent athlete.Case Rep Orthop. 2017;2017:2718013. doi:10.1155/2017/2718013
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
EBM Consult.Straight Leg Raising Test.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated Disc.Emergency Medicine Cases.Episode 58 – Commonly Missed Uncommon Orthopedic Injuries, Part 2.Zuke WA, Go B, Weber AE, Forsythe B.Quadriceps tendon rupture in an adolescent athlete.Case Rep Orthop. 2017;2017:2718013. doi:10.1155/2017/2718013
EBM Consult.Straight Leg Raising Test.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated Disc.
Emergency Medicine Cases.Episode 58 – Commonly Missed Uncommon Orthopedic Injuries, Part 2.
Zuke WA, Go B, Weber AE, Forsythe B.Quadriceps tendon rupture in an adolescent athlete.Case Rep Orthop. 2017;2017:2718013. doi:10.1155/2017/2718013
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