Bragard Test

Published July 2, 2026 Read time 2 min read Readers 3

What is the "Bragard Test" used for?

Bragard Test is used to evaluate nerve root compression, differentiating a genuine Lasegue sign from a pseudo-Lasegue sign.

The patient is supine.
The examiner grasps the patient’s heel with one hand and anterior aspect of the knee with the other.
The examiner slowly raises the patient’s leg, which is extended at the knee.
At the onset of the Lasegue sign, the examiner lowers the patient’s leg just far enough that the patient no longer feels pain.
The examiner then passively moves the patient’s foot into extreme dorsiflexion in this position, eliciting the typical pain caused by stretching of the sciatic nerve.

A positive Bragard test is evidence of nerve root compression, which may lie between L4 and S1.
Dull, nonspecific pain in the posterior thigh radiating into the knee is attributable to stretching of the hamstrings and should not be assessed as a Lasegue sign.
A sensation of tension in the calf may be attributable to thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, or contracture of the gastrocnemius.
The Bragard sign can be used to test whether the patient is malingering. The sign is usually negative in malingerers.