Diagnostic value of Lasegue test in discopathy in patients with acute low back pain

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain is one of the most important health problems. Disk herniation is one of the common reasons of low back pain. Accurate examination is the best and the simplest diagnostic methods. Physical finding and Straight Leg Raising (SLR) test, neurologic tests and other tests are used to know the exact site of herniation. Para clinical studies such as MRI should be used, because physical examination has not high specificity. Methods: 100 patients, who were referred with back pain or radicular pain to the emergency department of Imam-Reza hospital of Tabriz city, were enrolled in study. SLR, Reverse SLR and Cross SLR tests were done for all patients. Then patients were referred to the neurosurgeon for treatment. Lumbar MRI was taken for all patients. Then all patients were followed up and there data were collected. Results: Sensitivity and specificity of SLR test, Cross SLR test and Reverse SLR test was 100%, 0% and 94.68%, 100% and 88.89%, 100%, respectively. There was no significant relationship between MRI and positive discopathy in examination and SLR (P=0.11). Conclusion: SLR has low sensitivity but high specificity. If it uses with physical examination it's sensitivity increases but it's specificity decreases. The most sensitive test for detection of low back pain is SLR and most specific test is Cross SLR. [Alireza Ala, Samad Shams-vahdati, Ali Meshkini, Yashar Hashemi-aghdam, Saeed Alizadeh-shahri, Ali Taghizadieh. Diagnostic value of Lasegue test in discopathy in patients with acute low back pain. Life Sci J 2012; 9(4): 4315-4318]. (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 645