Introduction: Neurodynamic tests are diagnostic procedures used to evaluate the mechanics or sensitivity of the nervous system to stretching and sliding. If the nerve or nerve root is damaged due to chemical mediators, injuries or constriction, normal functional movements may cause or induce neurological signs and symptoms. The most commonly used neurodynamic tests are the straight leg raise test and the slump test. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present, based on a literature review, the measurement charactheristics of the straight leg raise test and slump test. Methods: The CINAHL, PeDRO, PubMed and ScienceDirect scientific databases were consulted to find relevant literature for the thesis in Engish using the following keywords in English: neurodynamic test [Title / Abstract] AND lower limb; reliability, validity [Title / Abstract] AND straight leg raise test, slump test; back pain [Title / Abstract] radiculopathy. Results: Ten research studies were included in the analysis. The results of the reviewed studies reported high to very high reliability levels of straight leg raise test in symptomatic and healthy subjects, and low to medium reliability levels of the slump test in symptomatic subjects. The straight leg raise test was moderately to highly sensitive in subjects with herniated intervertebral discs, especially L5 / S1, and moderately specific in subjects with more severely herniated discs. The straight leg raise test had a high diagnostic accuracy in younger subjects (16-25 age) and was useful in confirming a previous diagnosis performed with different diagnostic methods. The slump test had a high sensitivity level in subjects with intervertebral disc extrusion and in subjects with herniated intervertebral discs that caused subarticular compression of the nerve root. Discussion and conclusion: The straight leg raise test showed high reliability of the measurements, while the authors did not quite agree on the validity (sensitivity and specificity) of the measurements of the straight leg raise test and slump test. Research studies should include more accurate measurement tools to identify small differences in movement between different positions of the ankle. Future research could include a larger number of subjects to more reliably determine the positive outcome of each test.
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