Der Maitland Slump-Test: Entwicklung, Evidenz und klinische Anwendung

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Artikel bietet einen umfassenden Überblick über die Entstehung und Entwicklung von Geoffrey Maitlands Slump-Test in den 1970er Jahren.

Zum einen basierte Maitland die Entwicklung des Slump-Tests auf die bestehende Theorie der duralen Beweglichkeit und damit verbundener potenzieller Symptome. Zum anderen nutzte er seine umfangreiche klinische Erfahrung und analysierte genau die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Bewegungen des Kopfes und der unteren Extremitäten inklusive der Symptombeschreibung der Patient*innen. Indem er beides kombinierte, entwickelte er den Slump-Test, um so eine neuronale (durale) Dysfunktion zu detektieren. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war ihm jedoch noch nicht bewusst, dass dieser Test später zu einem der zentralen Werkzeuge in der heutigen neurodynamischen Diagnostik und Therapie werden würde.

In diesem Artikel wird die aktuelle Umsetzung des Slump-Tests vorgestellt, wobei auch auf mögliche Fehlerquellen, sogenannte „Pitfalls“, eingegangen wird, die beim Einsatz des Tests beachtet werden sollten. Darüber hinaus werden ausgewählte Studien zur Wirksamkeit des Tests diskutiert. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt liegt auf den Unterschieden in den Reaktionen von symptomatischen und asymptomatischen Proband*innen, die eine wichtige Rolle bei der Interpretation der Testergebnisse spielen. Abschließend werden sowohl die bekannten als auch die weniger bekannten Variationen des Slump-Tests vorgestellt, die in der klinischen Praxis Anwendung finden.

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the origin and development of Geoffrey Maitland’s Slump Test in the 1970s.

On the one hand, Maitland based the development of the Slump test on the existing theory of dural mobility and the associated potential symptoms. Secondly, he drew on his extensive clinical experience and carefully analyzed the relationships between the movements of the head and lower extremities, including the patient’s description of symptoms. By combining the two, he developed the Slump test to detect neural (dural) dysfunction. At that time, however, he did not realize that this test would later become one of the central tools in today’s neurodynamic diagnostics and therapy.

This article presents the current execution of the Slump Test, highlighting potential sources of error, known as “pitfalls,” that should be considered when using the test. Furthermore, the existing scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of the test is discussed. Another focus lies on the differences in responses between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects, which play a crucial role in interpreting test results. Finally, both well-known and less familiar variations of the Slump test that are utilized in clinical practice are presented.

Schlüsselwörter

Slump-Test - Neurodynamik - klinische Anwendung

Keywords

Slump test - neurodynamics - clinical application

Publication History

Article published online:
19 September 2025

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