Lasegue Drop Test

What is the “Lasegue Drop Test” used for?

• Lasegue Drop Test is used to test for lumbar spine pain due to spondylarthritis, spondylitis, or disk herniation.
• It’s also used to assess the sacroiliac joint.

How to perform the “Lasegue Drop Test”?

• The patient is supine.
• The examiner performs the test on the affected side as in the Lasegue test, raising the leg until the patient begins to feel discomfort.
• Then the examiner lets go of the leg from this position.

What is the positive result?

• Suddenly and unexpectedly letting go of the leg precipitates reflexive contraction of the muscles of the back and buttocks.
• It is primarily the iliopsoas that contracts, placing traction on the transverse processes of the lumbar spine.
• Patients will report pain in the presence of disorders of the lumbar spine (spondylarthritis, spondylitis, or disk herniation) or disorders of the sacroiliac joints.
• For a differential diagnosis it must be borne in mind that Lasegue Drop Test can also intensify visceral pain such as that caused by appendicitis.

Test Accuracy

• Clinical Tests for the Musculoskeletal 3rd Ed. Book