Reliability and measurement error of sensorimotor tests in patients with neck pain: a systematic review.
Simone Elsig, Lara Allet, Caroline Henrice Germaine Bastiaenen and 2 others
PMID 37582811WHAT IT FOUND
Some neck movement and muscle tests gave similar scores when repeated, but the evidence was too weak to guide test choice confidently.
For physiotherapists, pick tests with objective measures and clear standardisation, not tests that rely on subjective judgement.
Key findings
0112 tests were rated as good for reliability according to COSMIN criteria.
02The reliability evidence for all included studies was rated low or very low.
03Measurement error could not be judged for any included test because minimal clinically important change was not reported.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Many tests were assessed only in healthy people or in mixed groups, so results may not apply to patients with neck pain. Some movement control tests were excluded because data for patients with neck pain were not reported separately. The quality of evidence for reliability was low or very low for all included studies. Patient stability between measurements was often not described, so the review rated patient stability as doubtful. The review did not assess validity, interpretability or feasibility, so it cannot recommend tests for clinical usefulness.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these tests are ready for routine clinical use just because some repeated well. The review could not judge measurement error because clinically important change was not reported, and the reliability evidence was low or very low.