Distraction Test | SIJ Pain Provocation | SIJ assessment

The Sacroiliac Distraction Test is a provocation test for the sacroiliac joint and is also included in the Cluster of van der Wurff and the Cluster of Laslett.

As reported by Laslett et al. (2005), the sacroiliac compression test has a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 81%, which gives it a moderate clinical value and it’s advised to do this test in a cluster.

To conduct the test, the patient will lie in supine position with the legs extended. Position yourself on the symptomatic side and place your hands on the patient’s anterior superior iliac spines.

Then, apply 3-6 moderate velocity thrusts with gradually increasing pressure in a dorsolateral direction.

A positive test will result in the reproduction of the patient’s familiar pain.

Other common orthopedic tests that aim to provoke the sacroiliac joint are:

• Compression Test
• Sacral Thrust Test
• Gaenslen’s Test
• Thigh Thrust Test
• Cluster of Laslett
• Cluster of van der Wurff

Laslett M, Aprill CN, McDonald B, Young SB. Diagnosis of sacroiliac joint pain: validity of individual provocation tests and composites of tests. Manual therapy. 2005 Aug 1;10(3):207-18.