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Table 2 Frequency of diagnostic criteria and clinical evaluation within clusters derived from the MCA

From: Proposal of a diagnostic algorithm for myofascial trigger points based on a multiple correspondence analysis of cross-sectional data

 

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

M. trapezius

M. lev. scap

M. trapezius

M. lev. scap

M. trapezius

M. lev. scap

M. trapezius

M. lev. scap

left

right

left

right

left

right

left

right

left

right

left

right

left

right

left

right

n = 24

n = 28

n = 49

n = 48

n = 5

n = 4

n = 1

n = 3

n = 25

n = 20

n = 11

n = 4

n = 7

n = 9

-

n = 6

Combinations of classical MTrP diagnostic criteria (mutually exclusive) n (%)

 None

21 (88)

19 (68)

49 (100)

46 (96)

2 (40)

2 (50)

1 (100)

2 (67)

-

-

-

-

-

-

na

-

TB

   

3 (13)

9 (32)

-

1 (2)

2 (40)

1 (25)

-

1 (33)

-

-

1 (9)

 

-

-

na

1 (17)

TB

HSTB

  

-

-

-

1 (2)

-

-

-

-

8 (32)

4 (20)

-

-

1 (14)

1 (11)

na

3 (50)

TB

 

NTB

 

-

-

-

-

1 (20)

1 (25)

-

-

1 (4)

1 (5)

-

1 (25)

-

-

na

-

TB

  

RP

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

na

1 (17)

TB

HSTB

NTB

 

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3 (12)

3 (15)

3 (27)

-

1 (14)

-

na

-

TB

HSTB

 

RP

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3 (12)

4 (20)

2 (18)

1 (25)

2 (29)

4 (44)

na

1 (17)

TB

 

NTB

RP

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1 (4)

-

-

-

-

-

na

-

TB

HSTB

NTB

RP

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

9 (36)

8 (40)

5 (45)

2 (50)

3 (43)

4 (44)

na

-

Hypersensitive spot / nodule outside of a taut band (multiple answers possible) n (%)

 HSoTB

-

-

-

-

4 (80)

4 (100)

1 (100)

3 (100)

-

-

-

-

-

-

na

-

 NoTB

-

-

-

-

2 (40)

   

-

-

-

-

-

-

na

-

Complementary diagnostic criteria (multiple answers possible) n (%)

 Jump sing

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3 (12)

3 (15)

1 (9)

2 (50)

4 (57)

3 (33)

na

-

 Local twitch response

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1 (14)

-

na

-

 Restricted range of motion

-

-

-

-

2 (40)

-

-

-

1 (4)

2 (10)

3 (27)

2 (50)

7 (100)

5 (56)

na

3 (50)

 Muscular weakness

1 (4)

-

1 (2)

-

1 (20)

-

-

-

-

-

1 (9)

2 (50)

4 (57)

2 (22)

na

1 (17)

 Pain during contraction

-

-

-

-

3 (60)

1 (25)

1 (100)

1 (33)

6 (24)

-

2 (18)

-

5 (71)

8 (88)

na

3 (50)

 Autonomic phenomena

-

-

-

-

1 (20)

1 (25)

-

-

-

-

-

-

1 (14)

1 (11)

na

-

 Pain exacerbation emot. stress

-

-

-

-

2 (40)

-

-

-

10 (40)

4 (20)

5 (45)

1 (25)

3 (43)

7 (78)

na

4 (67)

Any complementary diagnostic criterion n (%)

 

1 (4)

-

1 (2)

-

5 (100)

2 (50)

1 (100)

1 (33)

12 (48)

8 (40)

8 (73)

3 (75)

7 (100)

9 (100)

na

6 (100)

Total number of complementary diagnostic criteria (min – max)

 

(0—1)

-

(0—1)

-

(1—3)

(0—1)

1

(0—1)

(0—3)

(0—2)

(0—3)

(0—4)

(2—5)

(2—5)

na

(1—3)

Clinical evaluation n (%)

 Myofascial trigger point

   

2 (4)

2 (40)

   

19 (76)

15 (75)

11 (100)

3 (75)

7 (100)

9 (100)

na

5 (83)

 Myofascial pain syndrome

    

1 (20)

   

15 (60)

13 (65)

10 (91)

3 (75)

6 (86)

9 (100)

na

4 (67)

 Relevance for clinical pain

    

3 (60)

1 (25)

1 (100)

1 (33)

17 (68)

15 (75)

10 (91)

3 (75)

5 (71)

9 (100)

na

4 (67)

  1. TB taut band, NTB nodule within a taut band, NoTB nodule outside of a taut band, HSTB hypersensitive spot within a taut band, HSoTB hypersensitive spot outside of a taut band, RP referred pain, na not applicable
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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

ISSN: 1471-2474

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