Lasegue's test

Passive straight leg raise maneuver performed in a supine patient to reproduce lumbosacral radicular pain by stretching the sciatic nerve and lumbosacral nerve roots, typically involving L4–S1 nerve roots.

Causes

• Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation causing nerve root compression

• Spinal canal and nerve compression --> sciatic nerve irritation

  • Lumbar spinal stenosis

  • Foraminal stenosis

  • Lateral recess narrowing

  • Nerve root entrapment

  • Postoperative scar tissue (epidural fibrosis)

  • Piriformis syndrome (sciatic nerve irritation mimic)

• Vertebral and joint-related causes

  • Spondylolisthesis

  • Facet joint hypertrophy

  • Facet joint synovial cysts

  • Degenerative lumbar facet arthropathy

• Inflammatory and other radiculopathy causes

  • Inflammatory radiculopathy

  • Infectious radiculitis

  • Spinal tumors or metastatic disease

  • Epidural abscess

  • Epidural hematoma

  • Traumatic nerve root injury