Table 3. Summary of evidence for repositioning error.
| Outcome | Comparisons | Relative effect (95%CI) | Patients /controls (studies) | Quality of evidence (GRADE) | Evidence and significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average estimate in NSLBP group | Average estimate in control group | |||||
| Absolute error | NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.705 | 460/228 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (medium effect) AE in NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Very low1,2,3 | ||||||
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.199, 1.212] Statistically significant difference | (11) | |||
| All studies | ||||||
| Absolute error | NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.651 | 405/183 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of no difference in AE between NSLBP patients and asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD was 4.6±3.2° (mean range 0.9 to 10.6) | Pooled weighted mean±SD was 1.8±2.0° (mean range 0.7 to 4.47) | [0.000, 1.302] Statistically significant difference | (8) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| Studies reporting AE in degrees | ||||||
| Absolute error | NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.720 | 432/200 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (medium effect) AE in NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.160, 1.281] Statistically significant difference | (10) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| (adults only) | ||||||
| Absolute error | Mild-NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.525 | 134/87 | ⊕⊕◯◯ | Moderate level evidence of greater (small effect) AE in patients with mild NSLBP than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.037, 1.013] Statistically significant difference | (4) | Low2,3 | ||
| Mild NSLBP | ||||||
| Absolute error | Moderate-NSLBP: Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Control: | SMD 0.725 | 301/162 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (medium effect) AE in patients with moderate to severe NSLBP than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.007, 1.443] Statistically significant difference | (7) | Very low1,2,3 | |||
| Moderate to severe NSLBP | ||||||
| Absolute error | FP-NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 1.219 | 160/136 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (large effect) AE in FP subgroup of NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.719, 1.719] Statistically significant difference | (6) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| FP NSLBP subgroup | ||||||
| Absolute error | FP-NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 1.287a | 130/106 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (large effect) AE in FP subgroup of NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD was 7.1±3.9° (mean range 4.6 to 7.9) | Pooled weighted mean±SD was 2.3±1.1° (mean range 0.7 to 4.47) | [0.595, 1.980] Statistically significant difference | (4) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| FP NSLBP subgroup (error in degrees) | ||||||
| Absolute error | FP-NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 1.289 | 145/108 | ⊕⊕◯◯ | Low level evidence of greater (large effect) AE in FP adult subgroup of NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.719, 1.859] Statistically significant difference | (5) | Low2,3 | ||
| FP NSLBP subgroup (adults) | ||||||
| Absolute error | AEP-NSLBP: Pooled weighted mean±SD was 6.3±3.2° (mean range 3.4 to 7.6) | Control: | SMD 1.486b | 75/91 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (large effect) AE in AEP subgroup of NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD was 2.2±0.9° (mean range 1.8 to 3.1) | [0.239, 2.732] Statistically significant difference | (3) | Very low1,2,3 | |||
| AEP NSLBP subgroup | ||||||
| Absolute error | AEP-NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 2.080c | 62/63 | ⊕⊕⊕◯ | Moderate level evidence of greater (very large effect) AE in AEP adult subgroup of NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD was 6.9±3.5° (mean range 5.7 to 7.6) | Pooled weighted mean±SD was 1.8±0.8° (mean range 1.8 to 1.8) | [1.574, 2.585] Statistically significant difference | (2) | Moderate3 | ||
| AEP NSLBP subgroup (adults) | ||||||
| Absolute error | NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.876 | 277/152 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of greater (medium effect) AE in blindfolded NSLBP patients than in asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [0.231, 1.521] Statistically significant difference | (7) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| Vision obscured | ||||||
| Absolute error | NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.325 | 198/91 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of no difference in AE between NSLBP patients and asymptomatic individuals with vision available |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | Pooled weighted mean±SD not estimable* | [-0.075, 0.725] Non-statistically significant difference | (5) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| Vision available | ||||||
| Absolute error | NSLBP: | Control: | SMD 0.665 | 102/306 | ⊕◯◯◯ | Very low-level evidence of no difference in transverse plane AE between NSLBP patients and asymptomatic individuals |
| Pooled weighted mean±SD was 2.7±0.5° (mean range 1.6 to 4.4) | Pooled weighted mean±SD was 2.5±0.7° (mean range 1.6 to 3.6) | [-0.495, 1.825] Non-statistically significant difference | (3) | Very low1,2,3 | ||
| Transverse plane | ||||||
1 Downgraded due to indirectness.
2 Downgraded due to inconsistency.
3 Downgraded due to imprecision.
* Pooled weighted mean not estimable as included studies did not report AE, VE, or CE as an angular measure, or did not report values for mean±SD.
a Pooled weighted SD was 2.64° resulting in an effect estimate of 3.4°—non-clinically significant.
b Pooled weighted SD was 1.94° resulting in an effect estimate of 2.9°—non-clinically significant.
c Pooled weighted SD was 2.1° resulting in an effect estimate of 4.4°—non-clinically significant.
Abbreviations: SMD, standardized mean difference, CI, confidence intervals; NSLBP, non-specific low back pain; SD, standard deviation; AE, absolute error; NSLBP, non-specific low back pain; FP, flexion pattern; AEP, active extension pattern.