Abstract
Backache is common yet its routine medical assessment is imprecise, unreliable, and poorly interpreted. Reproducibility studies on 475 patients improved the reliability of clinical interview and examination in backache, while studies of 335 normal subjects defined the limits of normality. Assessment of nerve function was found to be reliable but assessment of the back itself had to be considerably modified and examination improved by incorporating actual measurements. The validity and clinical utility of the information were analysed to determine the minimum amount of information which should be collected to permit clear diagnosis and management.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Boyle C. M. Difference between patients' and doctors' interpretation of some common medical terms. Br Med J. 1970 May 2;2(5704):286–289. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5704.286. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- COCHRANE A. L., CHAPMAN P. J., OLDHAM P. D. Observers' errors in taking medical histories. Lancet. 1951 May 5;1(6662):1007–1009. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(51)92518-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fairbank J. C., Couper J., Davies J. B., O'Brien J. P. The Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire. Physiotherapy. 1980 Aug;66(8):271–273. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gill P. W., Leaper D. J., Guillou P. J., Staniland J. R., Horrocks J. C., de Dombal F. T. Observer variation in clinical diagnosis--a computer-aided assessment of its magnitude and importance in 552 patients with abdominal pain. Methods Inf Med. 1973 Apr;12(2):108–113. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hall R., Horrocks J. C., Clamp S. E., De Dombal F. T. Observer variation in assessment of results of surgery for peptic ulceration. Br Med J. 1976 Apr 3;1(6013):814–816. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6013.814. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Waddell G., McCulloch J. A., Kummel E., Venner R. M. Nonorganic physical signs in low-back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1980 Mar-Apr;5(2):117–125. doi: 10.1097/00007632-198003000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]