Kernig's sign is elicited to indicate irritation of which tissue?

• A. Meninges
• B. Myometrium
• C. Synovial membrane
• D. Peritoneum

Answer: (A)

Kernig's sign indicates irritation of the meninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. When the hip is flexed to 90 degrees and the knee is straightened, a patient with meningeal irritation often feels pain and resistance due to stretching of already irritated spinal nerve roots within the meninges. This sign helps point toward conditions like meningitis or other subarachnoid inflammatory processes. The other tissues listed correspond to different body systems—the myometrium is uterine muscle, the synovial membrane lines joints, and the peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity—so they do not produce Kernig’s sign.