INTEREXAMINER RELIABILITY IN PHYSICAL-EXAMINATION OF PATIENTS WITH LOW-BACK-PAIN

Study Design. Seventy-one patients with low back pain were examined by two physiotherapists (50 patients) and two physicians (21 patients). The two physiotherapists had worked together for many years, but the t wo physicians had not. The interexaminer reliability of the clinical t ests included in the physical examination was evaluated. Objectives. T o evaluate the interexaminer reliability of clinical tests used in the physical examination of patients with low back pain under ideal circu mstances, which was the case for the physiotherapists. Summary of Back ground Data. Numerous clinical tests are used in the evaluation of pat ients with low back pain. To reach the correct diagnosis, only tests w ith an acceptable validity and reliability should be used. Previous st udies have mainly shown low reliability. It is important that clinical tests not be rejected because of low reliability caused by difference s between examiners in performance of the examination and in their def inition of normal results. Methods. Two examiners, either two physioth erapists or two physicians, independently examined pa tients with low back pain. Results. In approximately half of the clinical tests studie d, an acceptable reliability was demonstrated. Conclusion. On the basi s of the physiotherapists series, the reliability was acceptable for a number of clinical tests that are used in the evaluation of patients with low back pain. The results suggest that clinical tests should be standardized to a much higher degree than they are today.