MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Kernig's sign of meningitis

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Kernig's sign of meningitis

One of the physically demonstrable symptoms of meningitis is Kernig's sign. Severe stiffness of the hamstrings causes an inability to straighten the leg when the hip is flexed to 90 degrees.

Update Date: 11/9/2005

Updated by: Kenneth Wener, M.D., Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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