Execution
- 1Position the patient prone with the lower lumbar spine, sacroiliac region, and hip accessible.
- 2Stabilize the pelvis and move the hip into extension and rotation to screen hip contribution.
- 3Change stabilization to load the sacroiliac region and repeat the extension-based provocation.
- 4Stabilize the lumbar segments and repeat the manoeuvre to bias lumbar facet or capsular structures.
- 5Record which phase reproduces the patient’s familiar pain.
Positive outcome
The test is positive when one phase reproduces the patient’s familiar pain while the other phases are less provocative. Lumbar-phase pain suggests lumbar facet or capsular contribution, but the test does not confirm a specific joint as the pain generator. Pain location and response to each phase should be documented separately.
CommentMenell’s 3-phase test is an older regional differentiation test and is not strongly supported by modern diagnostic-accuracy literature. It was not clearly retrievable as a detailed Magee lumbar special-test entry in the searchable text, so the procedure is framed conservatively as a regional provocation sequence. Use it only as part of a broader differential examination.
Low Clinical Value