In the cross straight leg raise test, which leg is flexed?

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Multiple Choice

In the cross straight leg raise test, which leg is flexed?

Explanation:
In the cross straight leg raise, you flex the leg that is not currently symptomatic—the uninvolved leg. You raise that opposite leg with the other leg staying flat. If this maneuver reproduces the pain in the leg that is symptomatic, it signals contralateral nerve root irritation from a disc herniation, often a large one. The reason the uninvolved leg is the one flexed is that the test specifically looks for pain radiating in the opposite leg, which is a hallmark of this cross-pattern radiculopathy.

In the cross straight leg raise, you flex the leg that is not currently symptomatic—the uninvolved leg. You raise that opposite leg with the other leg staying flat. If this maneuver reproduces the pain in the leg that is symptomatic, it signals contralateral nerve root irritation from a disc herniation, often a large one. The reason the uninvolved leg is the one flexed is that the test specifically looks for pain radiating in the opposite leg, which is a hallmark of this cross-pattern radiculopathy.

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