Case Control Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021.
World J Orthop. Nov 18, 2021; 12(11): 816-832
Published online Nov 18, 2021. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v12.i11.816
Table 1 Anthropometric measures (mean ± SD) of participants
Age (yr)Height (cm)Body mass (kg)BMI (kg/m2)
Healthy
Male (n = 13)27.0 ± 6.8a178.4 ± 5.578.9 ± 8.724.7 ± 2.3
Female (n = 13)24.6 ± 5.3b163.0 ± 8.056.8 ± 5.7b21.5 ± 3.5b
Total (n = 26)25.8 ± 6.1b170.7 ± 10.467.8 ± 13.4b23.1 ± 3.3b
Patients
Male (n = 34)35.7 ± 10.2177.5 ± 6.481.1 ± 10.625.7 ± 2.6
Female (n = 32)39.2 ± 10.9166.2 ± 5.874.5 ± 13.626.9 ± 4.4
Total (n = 66)37.4 ± 10.6172.1 ± 8.477.9 ± 12.526.3 ± 3.6
Table 2 Maximum strength (mean ± SD) values in controls and patients

Non-LBP (n = 26)
LBP (n = 66)
MVIC (kg)
Day 1 (practice)
Day 2
P value
Day 1 (practice)
Day 2
P value
Maximum85.8 ± 23.791.4 ± 26.70.005b58.7 ± 24.863.5 ± 26.50.0005b
Mean increase: 6.5%Mean increase: 9.4%
Mean82.6 ± 22.788.5 ± 25.50.002b56.0 ± 24.161.1 ± 26.00.0005b
Mean increase: 7.2%Mean increase: 9.7%
Table 3 Mean ± SD values on 2 separate days for initial median frequency, median frequency-slope and root mean square for the isometric endurance test in both groups

Healthy (n = 26)
LBP (n = 66)
Parameter
Day 1
Day 2
P value
Day 1
Day 2
P value
IMF (Hz)
L2/3 R60.3 ± 10.961.0 ± 11.10.4866.5 ± 17.666.1 ± 15.80.82
L2/3 L58.2 ± 9.059.1 ± 12.30.5263.5 ± 17.261.9 ± 13.20.18
L4/5 R89.3 ± 20.391.0 ± 16.40.4983.2 ± 24.383.0 ± 21.30.89
L4/5 L90.9 ± 20.192.3 ± 17.30.5982.7 ± 26.083.5 ± 20.80.59
L2/359.24 ± 9.760.1 ± 11.40.4465.0 ± 16.464.0 ± 13.80.39
L4/590.1 ± 19.491.6 ± 15.90.4982.9 ± 24.383.2 ± 20.00.83
MF slopes (raw, Hz/s)
L2/3 R-0.30 ± 0.14-0.35 ± 0.120.02a-0.12 ± 0.16-0.12 ± 0.170.77
L2/3 L-0.30 ± 0.11-0.31 ± 0.100.52-0.10 ± 0.18-0.11 ± 0.140.41
L4/5 R-0.48 ± 0.16-0.54 ± 0.220.19-0.23 ± 0.25-0.22 ± 0.200.62
L4/5 L-0.56 ± 0.21-0.61 ± 0.190.19-0.21 ± 0.25-0.23 ± 0.250.53
L2/3-0.30 ± 0.11-0.33 ± 0.100.08-0.11 ± 0.16-0.11 ± 0.150.51
L4/5-0.52 ± 0.17-0.57 ± 0.190.13-0.22 ± 0.23-0.22 ± 0.200.84
MF slopes (normalised, %/min)
L2/3 R-28.8 ± 11.5-31.5 ± 9.00.14-9.0 ± 15.2-9.9 ± 15.80.55
L2/3 L-29.9 ± 9.3-29.8 ± 8.40.95-8.1 ± 15.9-10.5 ± 14.80.11
L4/5 R-34.0 ± 11.3-34.2 ± 11.90.90-15.0 ± 15.7-15.0 ± 12.00.98
L4/5 L-36.4 ± 10.7-37.7 ± 10.40.58-13.2 ± 14.0-17.1 ± 13.30.01a
L2/3-29.3 ± 9.8-30.6 ± 7.90.39-8.6 ± 14.8-10.2 ± 14.50.21
L4/5-35.2 ± 9.6-36.0 ± 10.20.67-14.1 ± 13.7-16.1 ± 11.70.10
RMS slopes (normalised, %/min)
L2/3 R43.4 ± 45.037.4 ± 35.20.3510.4 ± 21.411.3 ± 18.50.72
L2/3 L27.4 ± 30.829.0 ± 28.30.7311.3 ± 17.313.9 ± 22.80.17
L4-5 R42.6 ± 35.932.7 ± 29.20.1914.3 ± 21.212.6 ± 22.20.43
L4/5 L37.1 ± 36.238.4 ± 34.10.8510.3 ± 19.313.9 ± 21.20.07
Table 4 Maximum strength reliability indices in controls and patients

Controls (n = 26)
Patients (n = 66)
Parameter
ICC3,1
SEM
SDD%
ICC3,1
SEM
SDD%
MVIC (kg)
Maximum0.92 (0.83-0.97)5.9418.570.91 (0.86-0.94)6.9631.61
Mean0.96 (0.90-0.98)5.7218.510.96 (0.93-0.97)6.4930.75
Table 5 Reliability of initial median frequency, median frequency-slope and root mean square for the isometric endurance test in both groups

Controls (n = 26)
Patients (n = 66)
Parameter
ICC3,1
SEM
SDD
ICC3,1
SEM
SDD
IMF (Hz)
L2/3 R0.91 (0.80-0.96)3.329.190.80 (0.69-0.87)7.5620.95
L2/3 L0.82 (0.63-0.92)4.5712.660.80 (0.69-0.87)6.8819.06
L4/5 R0.82 (0.61-0.92)7.9922.130.82 (0.73-0.89)9.6426.70
L4/5 L0.81 (0.60-0.91)8.3123.020.86 (0.79-0.92)8.6123.85
L 2/30.94 (0.87-0.98)3.459.560.90 (0.84-0.94)6.4117.75
L 4/50.91 (0.79-0.96)7.2720.140.94 (0.90-0.96)7.5921.02
MF slopes (raw, Hz/s)
L2/3 R0.61 (0.27-0.81)0.070.190.75 (0.62-0.84)0.080.22
L2/3 L0.67 (0.36-0.85)0.060.170.66 (0.50-0.78)0.090.25
L4/5 R0.52 (0.14-0.77)0.130.360.73 (0.60-0.83)0.120.33
L4/5 L0.55 (0.18-0.78)0.130.360.62 (0.45-0.75)0.150.41
L 2/30.77 (0.46-0.90)0.060.170.86 (0.77-0.91)0.080.22
L 4/50.73 (0.35-0.89)0.110.300.88 (0.80-0.92)0.100.28
MF slopes (normalised, %/min)
L2/3 R0.67 (0.36-0.85)5.7916.030.69 (0.55-0.80)8.5923.79
L2/3 L0.65 (0.33-0.84)5.3614.850.69 (0.54-0.80)8.4423.38
L4/5 R0.64 (0.31-0.83)7.1119.690.62 (0.45-0.75)8.5923.79
L4/5 L0.50 (0.11-0.75)7.6021.050.57 (0.38-0.71)8.6623.99
L 2/30.82 (0.57-0.92)4.9313.660.85 (0.75-0.91)7.4720.69
L 4/50.78 (0.49-0.91)6.0216.670.83 (0.73-0.90)6.7518.69
RMS slopes (normalised, %/min)
L2/3 R0.73 (0.46-0.88)21.0058.170.48 (0.27-0.65)14.4840.11
L2/3 L0.76 (0.51-0.89)14.8341.080.71 (0.56-0.81)10.8330.00
L4/5 R0.44 (0.04-0.72)24.0766.670.73 (0.60-0.83)11.2631.19
L4/5 L0.54 (0.17-0.78)24.2067.030.61 (0.44-0.74)12.4434.46
Table 6 Adjusted between-group median frequency-slope differences in the isometric endurance test at 60% of maximum voluntary isometric contraction

Healthy (n = 26)
LBP (n = 66)
Mean difference
P value
Parameter
Mean
SE
Mean
SE
MF slopes (raw, Hz/s)
L2/3-0.250.03-0.140.020.120.002b
L4/5-0.440.05-0.260.020.180.002b
MF slopes (normalised, %/min)
L2/3-22.42.9-13.01.49.40.009b
L4/5-29.42.5-18.41.211.00.000b