Supine knee flexed position is used for traction in which condition?

• A. Cervical radiculopathy
• B. Hip OA
• C. Sciatica due to disc herniation
• D. Spinal stenosis traction

Answer: (D)

Focusing on how posture changes the space inside the spinal canal is key. When the knees and hips are bent in a supine position, the lumbar spine moves into greater flexion, which reduces lumbar lordosis and helps open the posterior portion of the canal. In spinal stenosis, the neural elements are compressed by a narrowed canal, and symptoms often improve in flexed positions because flexion increases canal and foraminal space. Placing traction with the patient in this knee-flexed, supine posture helps decompress the lumbar spine and makes the traction more effective for stenosis. The other conditions typically require different positions or approaches—cervical radiculopathy often responds to neck positions that target the cervical canal, hip OA isn’t treated with this lumbar traction posture, and sciatica from a disc herniation may need alternatives that don’t rely on this specific flexed-knee setup.