GRADE Quality assessment | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Index test/clinical indicators | Sample size | Studies per index test/clinical indicator | Phenomena of interest | Study design | RoB | Indirectness | Inconsistency | Imprecision | Publication bias | Quality |
Verwoerd et al’s, (2014) [13] 20 subjective clinical indicators (see Table 4) | 395 | 1 | Lumbosacral nerve root compression | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b | |
Cluster of two symptoms and one sign: “pain referred in a dermatomal cutaneous distribution”, “History of nerve injury, pathology or mechanical compromise” and “Pain/symptom provocation with mechanical/movement test” | 464 | 1 | Peripheral NP in patients with or without leg pain | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,c | |
Model including: two patient characteristics (age and duration of disease), four symptoms from the history (paroxysmal pain, pain worse in leg than back, typical dermatomal distribution, worse on coughing/sneezing/straining) and two signs from the physical examination (finger to floor distance and Paresis). | 274 | 1 | Lumbosacral nerve root compression | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE 3 | |
SLR | 2352 | 1 | Sciatica | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,c | |
SQST | 60 | 1 | Lumbar lateral stenosis involving L5 nerve root | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,c,d | |
Bell’s test, HE test, Lasegue signs, Crossed Lasegue signs | 78 | 1 | CLBP with or without leg pain | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,c,e | |
Slump knee bend | 16 | 1 | Upper/mid lumbar nerve root compression | Cross sectional observational design – pilot study | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | Serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁◯◯◯ VERY LOW 1,3,6,7,8 | |
Slump test | 21 | 1 | NP in Lower Limb | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁◯◯◯ VERY LOW 1,3,7 | |
Nerve palpation: 2 or more of sciatic, tibial, common peroneal | 45 | 1 | LBLP | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,i | |
S-DN4, ID pain, PDQ, S-LANNS | 215 | 1 | CLBP with or without leg pain | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,j | |
StEP tool | 138 | 1 | NP in LBP (radicular) | Cross sectional observational – no limitations in study design | Serious indirectness | No serious inconsistency | No serious imprecision | Undetected | ⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE 1,3,11 |