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Table 5 Overall and quarter-specific MCIDs (cut-points) for four low back pain subpopulations.

From: Responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference for pain and disability instruments in low back pain patients

Instrument

Overall MCID

Quarter-specific MCIDs by baseline entry score§

  

0–25

26–50

51–75

76–100

All patients

     

   ODI

11† (11) ‡

8† (8) ‡

12† (12) ‡

40† (40)‡

 

   RMQ

5 (20)

2 (7)

5 (20)

6 (27)

-

   LBPRSdisability

5 (17)

1 (3)

4 (13)

10 (33)

-

   SF36 (pf)

3 (17)

1 (5)

3 (17)

7 (33)

-

   LBPRSpain

6 (10)

4 (7)

10 (17)

23 (38)

11† (18) ‡

   SF36 (bp)

3 (29)

-

2 (22)

3 (33)

5 (50)

   NRSpain

1 (10)

1 (10)

2 (20)

4 (40)

3 (30)

Subpopulations

     

Primary sector patients

     

   ODI

9 (9)

9 (9)

16 (16)

40 (40)

-

   RMQ

5 (20)

2 (7)*

6 (27)

11 (47)

-

   LBPRSdisability

5 (17)

0 (0)

6 (20)

10 (33)

-

   SF36 (pf)

2 (11)

1 (5)*

2 (10)

9 (45)

-

   LBPRSpain

12 (20)

6 (10)

13 (22)

20 (33)

-

   SF36 (bp)

4 (42)

-

4 (38)*

2 (19)

5 (50)

   NRSpain

4 (40)

1 (10)*

3 (30)

4 (40)

-

Secondary sector patients

     

   ODI

8 (8)

1 (1)*

8 (8)

18 (18)*

-

   RMQ

2 (7)

4 (17)

2 (7)

2 (7)

-

   LBPRSdisability

5 (17)

1 (3)

5 (17)

3 (10)

-

   SF36 (pf)

6 (30)

1 (5)

2 (10)

3 (33)*

-

   LBPRSpain

8 (13)

4 (7)

10 (17)

17 (28)

-

   SF36 (bp)

2 (22)

-

2 (22)*

3 (33)

3 (30)

   NRSpain

2 (20)

1 (10)

2 (20)

4 (40)

1 (10)

LBP only patients

     

   ODI

9 (9)

9 (9)

13 (13)*

40 (40)

-

   RMQ

2 (7)

2 (7)

5 (23)

11 (47)

-

   LBPRSdisability

5 (17)

1 (3)

6 (20)

13 (43)

-

   SF36 (pf)

1 (5)

1 (5)

3 (17)

9 (45)

-

   LBPRSpain

7 (12)

7 (12)

13 (22)

25 (42)

-

   SF36 (bp)

4 (43)

-

1 (10)*

3 (33)

5 (50)

   NRSpain

1 (10)

1 (10)

3 (30)*

4 (40)

5 (50)*

Leg pain (+/- LBP)

     

   ODI

8 (8)

3 (3)

8 (8)

18 (18)

-

   RMQ

5 (20)

0 (0)

5 (20)

5 (20)

-

   LBPRSdisability

5 (17)

2 (7)*

4 (13)

5 (17)

-

   SF36 (pf)

4 (20)

1 (6)*

2 (10)

7 (33)

-

   LBPRSpain

10 (17)

6 (10)

5 (17)

22 (38)

11 (18)

   SF36 (bp)

3 (30)

-

1 (11)

2 (19)

3 (30)

   NRSpain

2 (20)

0 (0)

2 (20)

4 (40)

3 (30)

  1. ODI = Oswestry Disability Index; RMQ = Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire; LBPRSdisability = Disability subscale of the Low Back Pain Rating Scale; SF36 (pf) = Physical function subscale of the SF36; LBPRSpain = Pain subscale of the Low Back Pain Rating Scale; SF36 (bp) = Bodily pain subscale of the SF36; NRSpain = Numeric 11-box pain rating scale; MCID = Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the raw change score.
  2. § Baseline scores are divided into quarters of the original scale range.
  3. † MCID in point changes of the original scales. Scale ranges: ODI 0–100; RMQ 0–23; LBPRSdisability 0–30; SF36 (pf) 0–20; LBPRSpain 0–60; SF36 (bp) 0–10; NRSpain 0–10.
  4. ‡ MCID in point changes of the transformed scales (0–100).
  5. * Poor sensitivity or specificity (< 55)