Kernig sign is elicited during the neurological examination as an indication of nerve stretch pain.
Historical
Kernig sign was first described in 1884 by Vladimir Kernig, a Russian physician1.
Procedure
To assess Kernig sign, the patient is placed supine, and the legs are flexed at the hip with the knees extended. If the patient flexes the knee due to pain, Kernig sign is interpreted as positive.
Interpretation
The clinical utility of Kernig sign and Brudzinski sign is critically discussed in the literature, as the diagnostic value of a positive sign can only limitedly differentiate between patients with and without meningitis2.
References
Brody IA, Wilkins RH. The Signs of Kernig and Brudzinski. Arch Neurol. 1969;21(2):215–216. ↩ ↩
Karen E. Thomas, Rodrigo Hasbun, James Jekel, Vincent J. Quagliarello, The Diagnostic Accuracy of Kernigs Sign, Brudzinskis Sign, and Nuchal Rigidity in Adults with Suspected Meningitis, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 35, Issue 1, 1 July 2002, Pages 46–52 ↩ ↩