Name two tests used to assess lumbar stability or movement control.

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The main idea is assessing how well the spine is stabilized and controlled during movement. Two tests that directly probe this are the prone instability test and the curl-up (core endurance) test.

The prone instability test challenges the deep stabilizing muscles of the lumbar spine (like the transversus abdominis and multifidus). When the patient lies face down with the legs off the table, loading the lumbar spine in this way reveals whether the segmental joints can stay stable without the help of the legs providing external support. If symptoms are provoked or movement feels unstable only when the legs are off the table (and improve when the legs are supported), that points to deficient lumbar stability and movement control.

The curl-up endurance test measures how long the core can sustain controlled trunk flexion with limited effort, assessing endurance and neuromuscular control of the abdominal muscles that contribute to lumbar stability. A poor performance suggests reduced ability to maintain proper spinal alignment during flexion tasks, reflecting compromised movement control.

Other options assess different aspects, such as neural tension (slump and straight-leg raise) or cervical/racialis involvement (Spurling and cervical distraction) or facet loading and radicular symptoms (Quadrant and Kemp’s test). They’re not direct measures of lumbar stability or movement control.