[History of the discovery of the Lasègue phenomenon and its variants]

Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1984 Jul 10;114(27-28):992-5.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Ernest Charles Lasègue (1816-1883) discovered, but did not describe himself, the straight-leg-raising sign. This sign was described by one of this disciples, J.-J. Forst, in a doctoral thesis in Paris in 1881. Almost at the same time, L.K. Lazarević in Belgrade dealt with the same subject. The crossed-sciatic phenomenon was described for the first time by a Polish neurologist, J. Fajersztajn. In the same publication he mentioned the possibility of the activation of sciatica as a result of dorsiflexion of the foot. Independently of Fajersztajn, the Genevan specialist for internal medicine, Maurice Roch, observed the same phenomenon and called it "Lasègue du pied". The eponym "Bragard sign" for this manoeuvre is not correct.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • English Abstract
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • History, 19th Century
  • Humans
  • Leg / innervation*
  • Movement
  • Sciatica / etiology*

Personal name as subject

  • E Lasegue