ACCURACY OF STRAIGHT LEG RAISE TEST IN PATIENTS WITH LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION KEEPING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AS A REFERENCE STANDARD

Straight Leg Raise Test For Lumbar Disc Herniation

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy of straight leg raise (SLR) test in patients with lumbar disc herniation keeping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a reference.
Study Design: Validation study.
Place and Duration of Study: Radiology department of Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Quetta, over a period of 16 months from 1st Dec 2012 to 31st May 2013.
Material and Methods: Total 225 cases with lower back pain were included through non probabilityconsecutive sampling. Informed consent was taken. The patients were assessed for positive or negative SLR test. Then all patients underwent MRI of lumbosacral spine. Data was collected through a specially structured proforma. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 10.
Results: SLR test was found to be positive in 114 (50.7%) cases while negative in 111 (49.3%) cases. Lumbar disc herniation on MRI was found to be positive in 122 (54.2%) cases while negative in 103 (45.8%) cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of SLR test were found to be 82.8%, 87.4%, 88.6% and 81.1% respectively. Accuracy of SLR test was found to be 84.9%.
Conclusion: We concluded that SLR test is accurate enough to diagnose disc herniation with reference to MRI. Now we can advise SLR test for assessment of disc herniation where MRI is not available or unaffordable for the patients.