Ely Test |
Examination type |
Muscle tightness and/or Neurological lesions |
Patient & Body Segment Positioning |
The patient lies
prone on the table. |
Examiner Position |
Examiner stands
over the patient with one hand on the patient’s lower back and
the other holding the foot |
Tissues
Being Tested |
Evaluates rectus
femoris tightness and/or irritation of the femoral nerve |
Performing the Test |
The examiner passively flexes the leg upon the thigh, making the
heel touch the buttock. Compare bilaterally. |
Positive Test |
During the flexion,
patient is
unable to flex heel to buttock, if hip raises off table on side
being tested, or
extreme pain or tingling in back or legs indicates a positive
test. |
Interpretation |
A positive test indicates
tightness in rectus femoris, or femoral nerve irritation due to
lumbo-sacral lesion or hip lesion. It can also be a sign of
protruding or bulging disc. Make sure the the patient is
very specific in telling the examiner where the pain is.
|
Common errors in
performing exam |
|
Factors possibly
resulting in misinterpretation |
Ask patient to
thoroughly describe pain so that the examiner may differ between
rectus femoris tightness or a femoral nerve lesion. The
pain maybe in the low back if there is a pelvic or SI joint
dysfunction. This is due to the prone position they are
lying in. |
Related tests |
Femoral nerve Stretch Test, Femoral Nerve
Traction test |
References |
Ely’s Test. Glossary of Special Tests. MES
Solutions Inc. 2005.
http://www.mesgroup.com/glossary/tests.asp
Ely’s Test. Chiropractic Exams and Accompaning
Neurological, Orthopeadic Tests and Indications.
Independent
Medical Evaluations, Inc.
http://www.imei.com/connections/exam.html
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Links: |
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