Structured Manual Muscle Testing of the Lower Limbs
Authors:   Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, Lim Xiao Yi ,   Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Perak, Malaysia, Wong Jonathan Kee Chi ,   Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Umum Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia, Idris Zamzuri ,   Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, Izaini Ghani Abdul Rahman ,   Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, Abdul Halim Sanihah ,   Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, Abdullah Jafri Malin ,   Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia,   Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
Published: November 2023

An accurate and reliable neurological examination is pivotal in diagnosing patients with neurological and neurosurgical conditions. Despite the advancement of neuroscientific knowledge and the ever-progressing technologies and modalities that are being adopted to help achieve the challenge of accurate diagnosis, the neurologic examination is still crucial in both ambulatory and emergency settings. It provides the physician a tool to recognise neurologic involvement in certain disease states, and thereby allow proper work-up and treatment for patients. A basic neurologic examination can be performed rapidly with practice. Manual muscle testing of the lower limbs was carried out in accordance with a bedside clinical examination involving a clinical personnel examiner and a patient. This testing was performed in a rostro-caudal manner, starting from the hip and progressing to the toes. The neurological exam can be intimidating to perform for a lot of physicians. Deficiencies in accurate muscle testing have always presented a challenge for medical students and clinicians. By referring to the examination methods mentioned in our text and with the help of related video, it is our aim to improve the quality of neurological examination among medical personnel so that diseases may be recognised and managed earlier in their course.