Schobertest

The Schober test, also known as Schober’s test, is a simple clinical method used to assess the flexibility of the lumbar spine. It provides a rough measure of forward flexion and is commonly employed in rheumatology and orthopedics to monitor conditions that affect spinal mobility, such as ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory back pain, or after spinal injury or surgery.

Procedure: The patient stands erect. A lower marking is placed on the midline of the back at a defined landmark near the lumbosacral region (commonly at the level of the posterior superior iliac spines or the lumbosacral junction). From this point, a second mark is placed 10 cm above along the same line. The patient then bends forward as far as possible, and the distance between the marks is measured in centimeters. A change in distance during flexion reflects lumbar spine mobility.

Interpretation: In healthy adults, the distance typically increases by about 5 cm or more with maximal forward flexion. An increase smaller than approximately 5 cm suggests restricted lumbar flexion. Results can be influenced by age, body habitus, hamstring or hip joint tightness, and spinal deformities. The test is simple and inexpensive but is operator-dependent and primarily assesses lumbar rather than thoracic mobility.

Applications: It is used to track progression or response to treatment in spinal conditions and to provide a quick screening of lumbar flexibility in clinical practice.