List three clinical tests used to assess sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

• A. Standing flexion test, thigh thrust (FAUST) test, Gaenslen's test
• B. Straight leg raise, Kemp test, FABER test
• C. Spurling test, Valsalva maneuver, McKenzie press-up
• D. Distraction test, compression test, neurodynamic test

Answer: (A)

Testing sacroiliac joint dysfunction relies on provocative maneuvers that place stress across the SI joint and reproduce the patient’s pain. The standing flexion test checks how the sacroiliac joints move as the patient bends forward; a side that moves abnormally or more than the other suggests dysfunction on that side. The thigh thrust test applies a posterior-directed force through the flexed hip while the patient is supine, directly stressing the SI joint and often provoking concordant SIJ pain when the joint is irritated. Gaenslen's test adds stress by extending one leg and flexing the other toward the chest, loading both SI joints simultaneously and revealing pain if dysfunction is present. Together, these three are a classic SI joint–focused cluster used to detect and corroborate sacroiliac joint problems. Other test groups in the options target different structures—radiculopathy or nerve tension, hip or lumbar facet issues, or general spinal mechanics—so they don’t specifically isolate the SI joint in the same way.