Kernig’s sign /ker″niks/ [Vladimir M. Kernig, Russian physician, 1840–1917] , a diagnostic sign for meningitis marked by a loss of the ability of a supine patient to completely straighten the leg when it is fully flexed at the knee and hip. Pain in the lower back and resistance to straightening the leg constitutes a positive Kernig’s sign. Usually the patient can extend the leg completely when the thigh is not flexed on the abdomen. Compare Brudzinski’s sign.
