Table 1 Exclusion and inclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria:

∙ Known spinal tumor or malignacy

∙ Incomplete and/or painful knee extension

∙ Previously known other joint involvement, such as rheumatoid arthritis or already recognized metabolic bone disease

∙ Age more than 65 years or younger than 18 years

∙ Subjects' refusal to give informed consent to participate

∙ Claustrophobia on unwillingness to undergo magnetic resonance imaging

Sciatic group - Inclusion criteria:

∙ A combination of sciatic symptoms and clinical findings indicative of sciatica

∙ A 'positive' ESLR at clinical examination by study controller

∙ Radiating pain to lower limb either below or above the knee

Control group - Inclusion criteria:

∙ Local low back pain, greater trochanteric/hip/groin pain, with or without hamstring tightness

∙ No signs of sciatica in clinical examinitation

 ∘ ESLR 'negative' performed by the study controller with no neurological findings indicating radiculopathy