Active Straight Leg Raise Test

Execution:

  1. Patient is in supine lying position with the legs straight and feet 20cm apart
  2. The patient is asked to try to raise the legs 5cm one after the other without bending the knee
  3. If lifting of the leg is painful, the examiner applies manual compression at both anterior superior iliac spines or by the use of a sacroiliac belt and asks the patient to repeat the test

 

Positive Outcome: Movement is no longer painful after compression is applied

Study Reliability Sn Sp LR+ LR-
Mens et al. (2001):
in pelvic pain since pregnancy
test-retest ICC=0.87 87 94 14.5 0.14
Kwong et al. (2013) Inter-rater κ=0.87 71 91 7.89 0.32
Mens et al. (2012):
in pelvic pain during pregnancy
NA 54 88 4.5 0.52
Comment: O’Sullivan et al. (2007) suggest that the ASLR might be helpful in order to distinguish patients with pelvic-girdle pain and a reduced force closure of the SI joint from patients with pelvic-girdle pain due to an excessive force closure. In the latter group, patients usually have a negative outcome, while compression in the second step of the test might actually be provoking