Which test is commonly described as a sacroiliac joint provocation test?

• A. Oostegard Test
• B. Gaenslen's Test
• C. Active SLR Test
• D. Valsalva Maneuver

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is loading the sacroiliac joint to provoke pain so you can identify SIJ involvement. Gaenslen's test does this most directly: the person lies supine at the edge of the table, one leg is brought into full flexion toward the chest while the other leg remains extended and hangs off the table. The examiner stabilizes the pelvis and applies pressure to the flexed knee while allowing the extended leg to drop, creating a stressful torque and shear across the sacroiliac joints. If this maneuvre reproduces the patient’s buttock or SIJ pain on the tested side, it points to the sacroiliac joint as the pain source.

The other options aren’t as specific to provoking the SI joint. Active Straight Leg Raise mainly assesses core stability and pelvic control rather than directly stressing the SIJ. The Valsalva maneuver is about increasing intrathoracic and intrathecal pressure to reveal disc-related symptoms, not SIJ pathology. Oostegard (Oostgaard) test is described less consistently in relation to the SI joint and isn’t as widely recognized as Gaenslen’s test for provoking SIJ pain.