Which test is classically diagnostic for cervical radiculopathy?

• A. O'Donoghue
• B. Spurling's B
• C. Cyriax release
• D. Sharp-Purser

Answer: (B)

Reproducing nerve-root symptoms by loading the cervical neural pathways is the way to confirm cervical radiculopathy. Spurling’s maneuver does exactly that: with the patient seated, you extend the neck slightly, side-bend toward the affected side, and apply downward axial compression to the top of the head. If this maneuver reproduces sharp, radiating pain down the arm in a dermatomal pattern, it strongly suggests nerve root compression from foraminal stenosis or a cervical disc herniation. The other tests target different issues: O'Donoghue relates to knee ligament/meniscal problems, Cyriax release focuses on soft-tissue restrictions rather than nerve compression, and Sharp-Purser assesses upper cervical stability rather than radiculopathy. Thus, Spurling’s maneuver is the classic diagnostic test for cervical radiculopathy.