Brudzinski Sign: Sensitivity and Specificity

Introduction: None written. Excerpt from the entry in Bacterial Meningitis:
Not well studied. Brudzinski's original study gave sensitivity of 97%.

His best known "nape of the neck" sign (Brudzinski sign) is present when passive neck flexion in a supine patient results in flexion of the knees and hips. A separate sign, the contralateral reflex, is present if passive flexion of one hip and knee causes flexion of the contralateral leg.