Utility of the knee lifting test for selecting the appropriate therapy for patients with low back pain

Abstract

In general, therapeutic exercise for lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus (LHNP) is lumbar extension exercise, and that for lumbar facet syndrome (LFS) is lumbar flexion exercise. However, it is sometimes very difficult to choose which of these therapeutic exercises is appropriate, since both symptoms may be very similar on occasion. Therefore, we devised an estimation method for diagnosing LFS. This study investigated the usefulness of the knee lifting test (KL-t). Seventy-three patients treated by therapeutic exercises were analyzed. As symptoms after this test, reduced LBP was a positive reaction, while no reduction of LBP was a negative reaction. Forty-six patients were positive, 40 of whom were diagnosed as having LFS. Lumbar vertebrae lordosis was significantly decreased in the positive patients after the test. KL-t is a useful test to select the therapeutic exercises for LHNP or LFS.