Schober

Schober, Johann, 1874-1932, Austrian chancellor (1921-22, 1929-30). A respected career civil servant, he held the key post of head of the Vienna police after July, 1918. As chancellor, he gained passage (1929) of constitutional reforms that strengthened the presidency, though the changes were far more liberal than those urged by Ignaz Seipel. As vice chancellor and foreign minister (1930-32) he promoted the customs-union pact with Germany, a project that failed because of French opposition.

Schober's test is a test used in rheumatology to measure the ability of a patient to flex his/her lower back.

Procedure

The examiner makes a mark approximately at the level of L5 (fifth lumbar vertebra). The examiner then places one finger ~5 cm below this mark, and another, second, finger, ~10 cm above this mark. The patient is asked to touch his/her toes. By doing so, the distance between the two fingers of the examiner increases. However, a restriction in the lumbar flexion of the patient reduces this increase; if the distance increases less than 5 cm, then there is an indication that the flexion of the lower back is limited.

History

The test was first described in 1937 by Dr Paul Schober, a German physician.

References