Abstract
To outline the usefulness of the medical history and physical examination in the diagnosis of herniated lumbar discs, and to review the essential properties of a test, including sensitivity, specificity, and clinical value. None of the teats that are part of e history and physical examination of a patient with a disc herniation has a high diagnostic accuracy by itself. This is because positive and negative predictive values of common clinical indicators are limited. Confirmatory tests are necessary for a definitive diagnosis when making management decisions. Combining the results of history and physical findings will increase the predictive value of these basic diagnostic tools.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 10S-18S |
Journal | Spine |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 24 SUPPL. |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 15 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- disc herniation
- history
- physical
- predictive value
- sensitivity
- specificity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Clinical Neurology