Springing Test
Purpose
Spring test or springing test is an orthopaedic test used to diagnose facet joint injury in the spine especially in the lumbar and cervical region.
Technique
The patient lies in a prone position while the clinician applies force anteriorly with the thumbs over the spinous or transverse processes of the thoracic spine on both sides. The clinician looks for pain or hypomobility /hypermobility of the joint. The test is then considered positive.
Validity and Reliability
The exact psychometric properties of this test are unknown however, there are a few studies done on test reliability by Horneij and colleagues [2] and Michael Schneider and colleagues[3] where they stated that palpation for segmental pain provocation showed fair to good reliability (κ range, .21 to .73) and The κ values for palpation of segmental motion restriction were poor (range, −.20 to .17) and in many cases less than chance observation (negative κ values).
Resources
Sacroiliac joint special test cluster
References
- ↑ jschuber. Spring Test. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wenh2GKHBzA [last accessed 28/3/2021]
- ↑ Horneij E, Hemborg B, Johnsson B, Ekdahl C. Clinical tests on impairment level related to low back pain: a study of test reliability. Journal of rehabilitation medicine. 2002 Jul 1;34(4):176-82.
- ↑ Schneider M, Erhard R, Brach J, Tellin W, Imbarlina F, Delitto A. Spinal palpation for lumbar segmental mobility and pain provocation: an interexaminer reliability study. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics. 2008 Jul 1;31(6):465-73.