NCT07136441

Sciatic Nerve Stiffness Using Two-Sequences of Lower Limb Neurodynamic Testing: A Shear Wave Elastography Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Cairo University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 25 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purposes of the study are: 1. To measure differences in Sciatic nerve (SN) stiffness using shear-wave elastography (SWE) during two movement sequences of the lower limb neurodynamic test (LLNT) in low back pain with sciatica. 2. To measure differences in Sciatic nerve stiffness using shear-wave elastography during two movement sequences of the lower limb neurodynamic test in control group. 3. To compare difference in Sciatic nerve stiffness using shear-wave elastography during two movement sequences of the lower limb neurodynamic test between low back pain patients with sciatica and control group.

Detailed description

As peripheral nerves can exhibit regional variations in their anatomy and mechanical properties, investigating the response of different nerve segments to different loading patterns based on the order of joint movement will provide a better understanding of nerve biomechanics during neurodynamic testing. This may help optimize the lower limb neurodynamic test (LLNT) application for different pathological situations and potentially increase its diagnostic capacity to detect localized alterations in a specific nerve segment such as sciatica. Ultrasonography does not have the sensitivity required to detect all forms of peripheral nerve disorders and fails to provide information about nerve mechanical properties such as stiffness. By using neurodynamic sequencing, clinicians may direct neural stress toward targeted areas suspected of involvement and, at the same time, perform the test with reduced load on more remote nerve segments. The ability to modify neural load distribution during the LLNT could play an interesting role in differential diagnosis, when symptoms present similar characteristics but have different regional origin. There is a gap in the literature concerning the measurement of (SWV) of sciatic nerve during LLNT proximal (LLNT-PROX) to distal and from distal (LLNT\_DIST) to proximal sequences of LLNT.

Conditions

• Sciatic Nerve

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Lower Limb Neurodynamic Test (LLNT) with Shear Wave Elastography	Participants underwent sciatic nerve stiffness assessment using shear wave elastography during two distinct sequences of the lower limb neurodynamic test. Each participant received: Proximal-to-distal sequence: Starting with hip flexion, followed by knee extension, then ankle dorsiflexion with toe extension. Distal-to-proximal sequence: Starting with ankle dorsiflexion and toe extension, followed by knee extension, then hip flexion.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-15
• Primary completion: 2026-02-15
• Completion: 2026-02-28
• First posted: 2025-08-22
• Last updated: 2025-09-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Egypt