Pain Practice — Dekel BGS, Sorella MC, Vasarri A, et al. | May 01, 2020
This study was intended to assess reliability of the buttock applied strain test for the diagnosis of radicular pain in patients with low back pain. Researchers included a sum of 395 consecutive patients with low‐back pain (LBP) to examine sensitivity, specificity, and prior probability (positive predictive values [PPVs] and negative predictive values [NPVs]) of the buttock applied strain (BUAS) test against 2 reference tests: the straight leg raising test (SLRT) and the painDETECT (PD) questionnaire. Using multinomial logistic regression and χ2 analyses, the BUAS test outcomes’ dependence upon independent variables were evaluated (gender, age group, pain localization, SLRT outcomes, and PD outcomes). Inter‐rater agreement was tested applying Cohen’s kappa statistic. The BUAS test exhibited satisfactory sensitivity, specificity, prior probability, and inter‐rater reliability among patients with LBP; therefore, it may be considered a beneficial adjunctive tool to diagnose RP in patients with LBP. More research, in clinical settings other than pain clinics, is required for more generalized results.