Femoral nerve stretch test
Femoral nerve stretch test (Mackiewicz sign[1]) - for the FNST the patient lies prone, the knee is passively flexed to the thigh and the hip is passively extended; the test is positive if the patient experiences anterior thigh pain. This test is usually strongly positive in patients with protrusions at L2-L3 and L3-L4, slightly positive or negative in L4-L5 disc protrusions and negative in cases with a lumbosacral protrusion.
References
- Christodoulides AN. Ipsilateral Sciatica on Femoral Nerve Stretch Test is Pathognomonic of an L4/5 Disc protrusion. J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 1989;7l-B:88-9. http://web.jbjs.org.uk/cgi/reprint/71-B/1/88.pdf