Table 2
Univariable associations between predictor variables and outcomes.
| Model (i) reference standard: high confidence (≥80%) clinical diagnosis | ||||
| Item variable | Patients with sciatica | Patients without sciatica | Univariable odds ratio | 95% CI |
| Subjective sensory changes | 161 (55) | 12 (12) | 3.9 | 2.5, 6.3 |
| Below knee pain | 250 (85) | 28 (28) | 14.3 | 8.3, 24.5 |
| Leg pain worse than back pain | 183 (62) | 15 (15) | 9.3 | 5.1, 16.8 |
| Cough sneeze | 95 (32) | 7 (7) | 1.5 | 1.4, 1.7 |
| Intensity leg pain mean (sd) | 5.8 (2.3) | 3.6 (2.0) | 6.3 | 2.8, 14.1 |
| Neural tension tests | 230 (78) | 10 (10) | 31.9 | 15.7, 64.7 |
| Neurological deficit | 212 (72) | 16 (16) | 13.4 | 7.4, 24.2 |
| Model (ii) reference standard: high confidence (≥80%) clinical diagnosis plus MRI | ||||
| Subjective sensory changes | 110 (55) | 63 (32) | 1.9 | 1.3, 2.9 |
| Below knee pain | 173 (87) | 105 (54) | 5.5 | 3.4, 9.0 |
| Leg pain worse than back pain | 142 (71) | 56 (29) | 6.1 | 3.9, 9.4 |
| Cough sneeze | 79 (40) | 23 (12) | 1.4 | 1.3, 1.5 |
| Intensity leg pain mean (sd) | 6.1 (2.3) | 4.4 (2.2) | 4.9 | 2.9, 8.2 |
| Neural Tension tests | 157 (79) | 83 (43) | 4.9 | 3.2, 7.7 |
| Neurological deficit | 149 (75) | 79 (41) | 4.3 | 2.8, 6.6 |