Slump Lateral Bending Test Diagnostic Accuracy in Lumbar Radicular Pain

September 1, 2026 updated by: Fisiopoint Parma Physiotherapy

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Slump Lateral Bending Test for MRI-Confirmed Lumbar Radicular Involvement: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study

This observational diagnostic accuracy study will evaluate the ability of the Slump Lateral Bending Test to identify patients with suspected peripheral neurogenic pain or neural mechanosensitivity. Adult participants will be assessed using clinical examination procedures, including the Slump Lateral Bending Test and other neurological and neurodynamic findings. Thes study aims to determine whether this test may help clinicians recognize patients in whom peripheral nerve involvement contributes to symptoms. The results may support clinical reasoning in physiotherapy and improve the assessment o patients with suspected neurogenic pain.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Peripheral Neurogenic Pain

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

280

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Italy
- PR
  - Parma, PR, Italy, 43125
    - Recruiting
    - Fisiopoint Parma
    - Contact:
      
      Paolo Bertacchini
      
      Phone Number: 3387607400
      
      Email: paoberta@libero.it

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

Adult
Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients with suspected peripheral neurogenic pain or neural mechanosensitivity who are referred for physiotherapy assessment will be considered for inclusion. Participants may present with symptoms such as pain, paresthesia, dysesthesia, or movement-related symptoms potentially associated with peripheral nerve involvement. Eligible patients will undergo a standardized clinical assessment including neurological and neurodynamic examination procedures, including the Slump Lateral Bending Test.

Description

Inclusion Criteria

Adults aged 18 years or older.
Patients with suspected peripheral neurogenic pain or neural mechanosensitivity.
Presence of symptoms potentially related to peripheral nerve involvement, such as:
pain;
paresthesia;
dysesthesia;
symptoms modified by neurodynamic positioning.
Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent.
Ability to undergo the clinical, neurological, and neurodynamic assessment procedures required by the study.

Exclusion Criteria

Age under 18 years.
Inability to provide informed consent.
Presence of severe neurological disease or central nervous system disorder that may interfere with clinical assessment.
Previous major surgery or trauma affecting the assessed body region, if it may compromise interpretation of the clinical tests.
Acute inflammatory, infectious, or systemic disease that may explain the symptoms or contraindicate clinical testing.
Severe pain or clinical condition preventing safe execution of the Slump Lateral Bending Test or other neurodynamic tests.
Pregnancy, if neurodynamic testing is considered inappropriate or not clinically indicated.
Inability to understand instructions or complete the assessment procedures.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sensitivity and Specificity of the SLBT for MRI-Confirmed Lumbar Nerve Root Contact or Compression Time Frame: At baseline	Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, likelihood ratios, and overall diagnostic accuracy of the Slump Lateral Bending Test will be calculated using lumbar MRI findings classified as nerve root contact or compression as the reference standard.	At baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Fisiopoint Parma Physiotherapy

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 23, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 15, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 15, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)