Normal neurodynamic responses of the femoral slump test

Abstract

Femoral slump test is a neurodynamic testing, which could be used to assess the mechanosensitivity of the femoral component of the nervous system. Although Trainor and Pinnington reported the diagnosis accuracy of the femoral slump test, the neurodynamic responses of the femoral slump test have never been studied. The purposes of this study were to evaluate whether maneuvers that changed the nerve tension altered the responses of the femoral slump test and if these responses were influenced by gender and leg dominance; and to identify the correlations between flexibility and measured hip extension angle. Thirty-two asymptomatic subjects (16 males, 16 females) were recruited. The femoral slump test was performed in trunk slump and neutral positions, and cervical extension was used as the structure differential technique. Hip extension angle and visual analog scale (VAS) of thigh pain was measured during the test. Our results showed the decrease of nerve tension significantly increased hip extension ROM (P < 0.001) and lowered pain intensity (P < 0.001). The hip extension ROM was similar between genders but smaller for the dominant leg, as compared to the non-dominant side (P < 0.05); and the hip ROM did not correlate with any of the flexibility indices (P > 0.05). These findings indicated that femoral slump test resulted in normal neurodynamic responses in individuals free of lower extremity problems, and these responses were independent of the influence of muscle flexibility or gender. Future research should emphasize the use of femoral slump test in patient groups such as low back and anterior knee pain.