ArticlePDF Available

Abstract and Figures

To describe the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of five clinical tests used to measure trunk muscle endurance in low back pain. A cross-sectional non-experimental design. Orthopaedic and physical therapy departments of four hospitals and outpatient physical therapy clinics, Tehran, Iran. Convenience sample of 200 subjects participated in this study. Subjects were categorized into four groups: men without low back pain (N = 50, mean (SD) age = 38 (12) years), women without low back pain (N = 50, mean (SD) age = 43 (11) years), men with low back pain (N = 50, mean (SD) age = 39 (12) years) and women with low back pain (N = 50, mean (SD) age = 43 (12) years). Five clinical static endurance tests of trunk muscles such as: Sorensen test, prone isometric chest raise test, prone double straight-leg raise test, supine isometric chest raise test and supine double straight-leg raise test were measured in each group. The result of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis revealed that in a separate analysis of data for men and women, among all tests, the prone double straight-leg raise test had the highest sensitivity, specificity and predictive value in low back pain compared with other performed tests. It seems that the prone double straight-leg raise test has more sensitivity, specificity and predictive value in low back pain than other tests and could be used as a useful clinical method for testing the spinal muscle endurance to predict the probability of the occurrence of low back pain.
Content may be subject to copyright.
Clinical Rehabilitation 2007; 21: 640–647
Sensitivity, specificity and predictive value
of the clinical trunk muscle endurance tests
in low back pain
Amir Massoud Arab, Mahyar Salavati Department of Physical Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation
Sciences, Evin, Ismaeil Ebrahimi Faculty of Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences and Mohammad Ebrahim
Mousavi Orthopaedics, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Evin, Tehran, Iran
Received 1st August 2006; returned for revisions 28th November 2006; revised manuscript accepted 10th December 2006.
Objective: To describe the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value,
negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of five clinical tests used to
measure trunk muscle endurance in low back pain.
Design: A cross-sectional non-experimental design.
Setting: Orthopaedic and physical therapy departments of four hospitals and
outpatient physical therapy clinics, Tehran, Iran.
Subjects: Convenience sample of 200 subjects participated in this study.
Subjects were categorized into four groups: men without low back pain (N 50,
mean (SD) age 38 (12) years), women without low back pain (N 50, mean
(SD) age 43 (11) years), men with low back pain (N 50, mean (SD) age 39
(12) years) and women with low back pain (N 50, mean (SD) age 43 (12)
years).
Main measures: Five clinical static endurance tests of trunk muscles such as:
Sorensen test, prone isometric chest raise test, prone double straight-leg raise
test, supine isometric chest raise test and supine double straight-leg raise test
were measured in each group.
Results: The result of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis
revealed that in a separate analysis of data for men and women, among all tests,
the prone double straight-leg raise test had the highest sensitivity, specificity and
predictive value in low back pain compared with other performed tests.
Conclusions: It seems that the prone double straight-leg raise test has more
sensitivity, specificity and predictive value in low back pain than other tests and
could be used as a useful clinical method for testing the spinal muscle
endurance to predict the probability of the occurrence of low back pain.
Address for correspondence: Amir Massoud Arab, Department of
Physical Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation
Sciences, Evin, Koodakyar Ave., PO Box 19834, Tehran, Iran.
e-mail: arabloo_masoud@hotmail.com
© 2007 SAGE Publications 10.1177/0269215507076353
Introduction
Low back pain is one of the most common and costly
musculoskeletal complaints in today’s societies,
affecting up to 70–80% of the population with at least
one episode during their lifetime.
1–3
Despite its high
incidence and detrimental effects on individuals’
activities the exact causes of mechanical low back
pain have not yet been fully understood as no
approach to diagnosis or treatment has been shown to
be clearly effective.
4,5
In recent decades the main
focus has been placed on trunk muscle endurance and
its association with low back pain. The back extensor
Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 641Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 641
muscles are considered to be postural muscles that aid
in maintaining upright standing posture and control-
ling lumbar forward bending.
6
Numerous studies have
shown a significant decrease in back extensor muscle
endurance in patients with low back pain.
7–11
It has
been reported that evaluation of the endurance of
trunk extensor muscles has greater discriminative
validity than evaluation of muscle strength low back
pain
12–14
and could be a very good predictor of back
health.
15,16
Some electromyographic studies indicate
that the paraspinal muscles in patients with low back
pain have a faster fatigue rate compared with those in
asymptomatic subjects.
9,17–19
Moreover, some investi-
gators have focused on the endurance of the trunk
flexors in low back pain because of their significant
role in normal function of the lumbo-pelvic area.
It has also been reported that abdominal muscular
endurance in patients with low back pain is less than
that in the normal health population
20–24
and apparent
loss of muscle control following trunk muscle fatigue
could be considered to be one of the important causes
of low back pain.
25
Thus testing trunk muscle
endurance would seem to be very important in the pre-
diction, prevention and rehabilitation of low back pain.
Several types of testing methods, such as static
endurance test, active measures of endurance, isokinet-
ic and electromyographic testing, have been studied in
the literature.
22
Of the different available assessment
strategies, isometric endurance testing seems to be
cost-effective, easy and quick to perform and requires
no special equipment in the clinics, so clinicians would
choose it to use for measuring trunk muscle
endurance.
26
Different static endurance testing meth-
ods and evidence regarding their utilization have been
reported in the literature. Most commonly, they are:
prone isometric chest raise test as described by Ito
et al.,
20
McIntosh et al.
27
and others,
22,23,26,28–31
prone
double straight-leg raise test as described by McIntosh
et al.
27
and Moreau et al.,
26
supine isometric chest raise
test as described by Ito et al.,
20
Moffroid
21
and
McIntosh et al.,
27
supine double straight-leg raise test
as described by McIntosh et al.
27
and Sorensen
test.
12,26,28,32,33
The diagnostic accuracy and suitability
of a clinical test can be measured by comparing the test
results to the true condition of the patient. The most
widely used measurements used to evaluate the accura-
cy and suitability of clinical tests in binary data are sen-
sitivity and specificity and predictive values of the test.
Several studies have shown a significant difference
between normal subjects and those with low back pain
in these tests, but more in-depth review of the literature
reveals that most previous studies have considered only
one of these tests in a relatively small population and
although there are several measures of endurance of
trunk muscle, they have not been compared. The cur-
rent study collectively examined five clinical isometric
trunk muscle endurance tests in subjects with and with-
out low back pain in a relatively large population and
identified the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values
of each test to effectively describe how well low back
pain and no-low back pain people can be classified on
the basis of their clinical endurance test values.
Methods
Subjects
Two hundred subjects between the ages of 20 and
65 were selected from four hospitals.
All the individuals who were participated in the study
filled out a simple health questionnaire. Those who met
the selection criteria were included in the study. All the
subjects signed an informed consent form approved by
the human subjects committee at the University of
Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences before par-
ticipating in the study. Subjects were categorized into
four groups of men and women with and without low
back pain: men without low back pain (N50, mean
(SD) age 38 (12) years), women without low back pain
(N50, mean (SD) age 43(11) years), men with low
back pain (N50, mean (SD) age 39 (12) years), and
women with low back pain (N50, mean (SD) age 43
(12) years). The mean age, height and weight of the sub-
jects in each group are shown in Table 1.
Selection criteria
Subjects were included if they had no history of
spinal surgery, no spinal or pelvic fracture, no his-
tory of hospitalization for severe trauma or injuries
from a car accident, no history of osteoarthritis or
fracture of the lower extremities and had no history
of any systemic disease, such as arthritis or tuber-
culosis. Control subjects were evaluated and found
to have no complaint of any pain or dysfunction
in their low back, thoracic and neck area, lower
extremities and any neuromuscular disorders.
Patients were included if they had a history of low
642 AM Arab et al.642 AM Arab et al.
back pain for more than six weeks before the study
or had on and off back pain and had experienced at
least three episodes of low back pain, each lasting
more than one week, during the year before the
study.
15
None of the patients or control subjects had
referred leg pain.
Reliability assessment
Using 30 asymptomatic subjects (15 male and 15
female volunteers), we assessed intratester and
intertester reliability of the measurements. The first
examiner completed the tests in a subject and then
after 15 minutes repeated the tests in a random order
on the same subject. The second examiner then tested
the subject, following the same procedure.
Procedures
The description of the measurement procedure for
each test was as follows:
Sorensen test: This is the most widely used test in
published studies evaluating the isometric
endurance of trunk extensor muscles. During the
test, the patient was on the examining table in the
prone position with the upper edge of the iliac crests
aligned with the edge of the table. The lower body
was fixed to the table by three straps, located around
the pelvis, knees and ankles. With the arms folded
across the chest, the patient was asked to maintain
the unsupported upper body in horizontal position
until he or she could no longer control the posture or
had no more tolerance for the procedure.
12,26,28,32,33
Prone isometric chest raise test: This was done
with the subject lying prone on a treatment table
with a pad under the abdomen and the arms
along the sides. The subject was instructed to lift
upper trunk about 30 degrees from the table
while flexing the neck and to hold the sternum
off the floor as much as possible. The test con-
sisted in holding this position as long as possible
while breathing normally. The detailed proce-
dure for this test is described by Ito et al.
20
and
others.
22,23,26,27
Prone double straight-leg raise test: The subject’s
position was prone with hips extended, the hands
underneath the forehead and the arms perpendicu-
lar to the body. The subject was then instructed to
raise both legs until knee clearance was achieved.
The examiner monitored knee clearance by sliding
one hand under the thighs. The time was recorded
in seconds, and the test was terminated when the
subject was no longer able to maintain knee clear-
ance. The detailed procedure for this test is
described by McIntosh et al.
26,27
Table 1 Descriptive statistics for the age, height, weight and the clinical endurance tests scores in subjects with and with-
out low back pain
Variables Men Women
Without LBP (N550) With LBP (N550) Without LBP (N550) With LBP (N550)
Age (years) 38 (12) 39 (12) 43 (11) 43 (12)
Height (cm) 170 (6) 172 (7) 166 (7) 160 (6)
Weight (kg) 70 (12) 69 (11) 68 (13) 67 (10)
Sorensen test (s) 35 (7) 27 (8) 36 (7) 25 (6)
Prone isometric
chest raise test (s) 40 (9) 33 (15) 52 (18) 30 (7)
Supine isometric
chest raise test (s) 43 (9) 33 (5) 32 (5) 28 (6)
Prone double
straight-leg raise test (s) 38 (6) 26 (4) 35 (5) 26 (3)
Supine double
straight-leg raise test (s) 28 (4) 24 (5) 28 (4) 23 (3)
Values are mean (SD).
LBP, low back pain.
Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 643Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 643
Supine isometric chest raise test: This was done
with the subject lying supine on a treatment table
with the hands crossed on his or her chest. The
knees and hips were in 90 degree flexion. The sub-
ject was instructed to lift neck and upper trunk
from the table and hold this position as long as
possible.
26,27
Supine double straight-leg raise test: To do this
test we followed the method described by
McIntosh et al.
27
to assess the endurance of the
lower abdominal muscles. The subject began in
the supine-lying position, hips extended, with the
hands laying beside the trunk. The subject was
then instructed to raise both legs from the floor
about 20 degrees and hold this position as long as
possible without any tilting in the pelvis. The
examiner monitored pelvic tilt during test. The
time was recorded in seconds and the test was ter-
minated when the subject was no longer able to
maintain knee clearance.
The examiner undertook the clinical tests in ran-
dom order and not in specified subjects.
The research was reviewed and was approved by
the Human Subject Committee at University of Social
Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Data analysis
The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), two-
way random effect model was used to assess intrat-
ester and intertester reliability of the measurement as
described by Shrout and Fleiss.
34
The receiver oper-
ating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis
35
in
MedCalc statistical software (MedCalc, Mariakerke,
Belgium) was used to determine a cut-off value for
each test and the sensitivity, specificity, predictive
value and area under the curve of tests was calculat-
ed. The ROC curve is a plot of sensitivity versus
1–specificity of a variable assessed against an exter-
nal criterion.
35
Equivalently, the ROC curve is the
representation of the trade-offs between sensitivity
and specificity. Having or not having low back pain
was used as the external criterion for constructing
the ROC curves in this study. MedCalc statistical
software provides a value of the independent vari-
able with the highest sensitivity and specificity as a
cut-off score which best can discriminate between
subjects with and without the condition using the
tested variable as a diagnostic tool. Separate cut-off
values and ROC curve were obtained for men and
women.
Results
Descriptive statistics for the subjects and test scores in
each group are presented in Table 1. Table 2 presents
the ICC for each test taken in the pilot study. Except
for the Sorensen test, all other ICC values were
greater than 0.80 (Table 2).
The cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity, positive
predictive values, negative predictive value and area
under the ROC curve for the tests in men and women
are presented in Table 3. The result of ROC curve
revealed that in separate analyses of data for men and
women, although all tests had somewhat good sensi-
tivity and specificity in low back pain, among them,
the prone double straight-leg raise test had the high-
est sensitivity, specificity and predictive value (Table
3, Figures 1 and 2). It also had the highest area under
the ROC curve in comparison with other tests both in
men and women. Other tests had high sensitivity with
relatively low specificity or vice versa (Table 3).
Discussion
Our data indicate a relatively good sensitivity and
specificity and predictive value in all performed tests
Table 2 Intraclass correlation coefficient values for intra-
tester and intertester reliability for the measurements per-
formed in the study (N 30 subjects)
Measurements Tester 1 Tester 2 Intertester
ICC(3,1) ICC(3,1) ICC(2,1)
Sorensen test 0.80 0.79 0.78
Prone isometric 0.90 0.89 0.90
chest raise test
Supine isometric 0.92 0.90 0.89
chest raise test
Prone double s 0.87 0.85 0.83
traight-leg raise
test
Supine double 0.84 0.85 0.79
straight-leg
raise test
ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient.
644 AM Arab et al.
in low back pain. This finding is in accordance with
other studies showing a significant decrease in trunk
muscle endurance in patients with chronic low back
pain.
7–12,20–24
Because these muscles are rich in larger
diameter type I muscle fibres,
36
they are suited to
support low levels of activity for long periods of
time. Investigators have attributed the decreased
muscle endurance found in patients with low back
pain to higher muscle metabolite level resulting from
prolonged muscle tension and spasm, muscle decon-
ditioning and inhibition of the paraspinal muscles
37,38
in response to pain and decreased activity.
However, the significance of this study was in
assessing several clinical isometric tests that have
been used to measure trunk muscle endurance togeth-
er to compare the relative significance of each test
644 AM Arab et al.
Figure 1 ROC curve for the performed tests in men. Soren,
Sorensen test; SICR, supine isometric chest raise test;
SDSLR, supine double straight-leg raise test; PICR, prone
isometric chest raise test; PDSLR, prone double straight-leg
raise test.
Soren
SICR
SDSLR
PICR
PDSLR
0 20 40 60 80 100
100
80
60
40
20
0
100-S pec if icity
Sensitivity
Figure 2 ROC curve for the performed tests in women.
Soren, Sorensen test; SICR, supine isometric chest raise
test; SDSLR, supine double straight-leg raise test; PICR,
prone isometric chest raise test; PDSLR, prone double
straight-leg raise test.
Soren
SICR
SDSLR
PICR
PDSLR
0 20 40 60 80 100
100
80
60
40
20
0
100-S pec if icity
Sensitivity
Table 3 The cut-off score, sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and area under the ROC curve for the performed tests
Tests Cut-off score Sen. Spec. PV PV Area
Sorensen test
Men 28 92.3 76.0 80.8 90.0 0.85
Women 29 84.3 84.6 84.3 84.6 0.90
Prone isometric chest raise test
Men 31 80.8 80.0 80.08 80.0 0.79
Women 33 98.0 84.6 86.2 97.8 0.93
Supine isometric chest raise test
Men 34 96.2 72.0 78.1 94.7 0.88
Women 24 99.4 32.7 59.3 99.4 0.63
Prone double straight-leg raise test
Men 30 96.2 100 100 96.2 0.99
Women 29 100 92.3 92.7 100 0.97
Supine double straight-leg raise test
Men 25 92.3 80.0 82.8 90.9 0.83
Women 25 98.0 84.6 86.2 97.8 0.95
Sen., sensitivity; Spec., specificity; PV, positive predictive value; PV, negative predictive value; Area, area under the ROC
curve (maximum1.0).
Equal number of men (100) and women (100) were used for all conditions.
Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 645
or abdomen.
24
Latikka et al. also reported a 50% fail-
ure rate in doing Sorensen test.
44
References
1 Svensson H, Andersson GBJ, Johansson S,
Wilhemsson C, Vedin A. A retrospective study of low
back pain in 38-to-64 year old women: frequency of
occurence and impact on medical services. Spine
1988; 13: 548–52.
2 Ehrlich GE. Low back pain. Bull World Health Organ
2003; 81: 671–72.
3 Woolf AD, Pfleger B. Burden of major musculoskeletal
condition. Bull World Health Organ 2003; 81: 646–56.
4 Leclere H, Beaulieu MD, Bordage G, Sindon A,
Couillard M. Why are clinical problems difficult?
General practitioners’ opinion concerning 24 clinical
problems. CMAJ 1990; 143: 1305–15.
5 Clare HA, Adams R, Maher CG. A systemic review
of efficacy of McKenzie therapy for spinal pain. Aust
J Physiother 2004; 50: 209–16.
6 Calliet R. Low back pain syndrome, third edition. FA
Davis, 1981.
7 Hultman G, Nordin M, Saraste H, Ohlsen H. Body
composition, endurance, strength, cross-sectional area
and density of erector spine in men with and without
low back pain. J Spinal Disord 1993; 6: 114–23.
8 Jorgensen K, Nicholaisen T. Trunk extensor
endurance: determination and relation to low back
trouble. Ergonomics 1987; 30: 259–67.
9 Roy SH, Deluca CJ, Casavant DA. Lumbar muscle
fatigue and chronic low back pain. Spine 1989; 14:
992–1001.
Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 645
and to identify which test has the best sensitivity and
specificity in the assessment of low back pain. Our
data indicate that among all clinical tests used to
assess the endurance of trunk muscles, the prone
double straight-leg raise test has the highest sensitiv-
ity, specificity and predictive value in low back pain
compared with others both in men and women (Table
3, Figures 1 and 2). McIntosh et al.
27
state that this
test assesses the lower back extensor muscles, while
others, such as the prone isometric chest raise,
Sorensen test and supine isometric chest raise, assess
upper back extensor and flexor endurance. Perhaps
the higher association of the prone double straight-
leg raise test with low back pain found in our study is
due to the fact that inhibition and atrophy of the
lower paraspinal muscles,
38
especially the lumbar
multifidus muscles, is very important in causing low
back pain, as a result of deconditioning, impaired
muscle coordination and unequal force distribution in
these muscles.
39
Hides et al.
40
showed a 31% decreased cross-
sectional area in the lumbar multifidus muscles in
patients with low back pain, which did not resolve
automatically after remission of painful symptoms.
Although the Sorensen test is the method frequent-
ly investigated and reported in the literature, its sensi-
tivity and specificity was lower than that of some
other tests. Published studies revealed that this test
assesses the endurance of all the muscles involved in
trunk extension, including not only the paraspinal
muscles, but also the hip extensor muscles.
Controversy exists as to the amount of endurance that
is provided by the lower lumbar extensors in contrast
with the hip extensor (gluteus maximus and ham-
string).
41,42
Some stated that these muscles played a
minor role,
43
whereas others reported a correlation
between the position-holding time and the time-
course of hip extensor fatigability as assessed by sur-
face electromyography, suggesting a significant role
for the hip extensor muscles. They conclude that the
Sorensen test fatigues the biceps femoris more than
the lower erector spinae and that it indicates more
about the endurance of the hip extensors than that of
trunk extensors.
Another issue that could be considered in clinical
use of the Sorensen test procedure is its difficulty.
Previous studies reported subjects have difficulty dur-
ing the Sorensen test. In Biering-Sorensen’s study,
24% of the sample could not complete the test, pri-
marily due to back pain followed by pain in the legs
Clinical messages
The prone double straight-leg raise test has
more sensitivity, specificity and predictive
value in low back pain than other tests used
in this study.
All five clinical endurance tests used in this
study showed a relatively good sensitivity
and specificity and predictive value in low
back pain.
The prone double straight-leg raise test could
be used to as a useful clinical method for test-
ing the spinal muscle endurance in clinics.
646 AM Arab et al.646 AM Arab et al.
10 Ashmen KJ, Swanik CB, Lephart SM. Strength and
flexibility characteristics of athletes with chronic low
back pain. J Sport Rehabil 1996; 5: 275–86.
11 O’Sullivan PB, Mitchell T, Bulich P, Waller R, Holte
J. The relationship between posture and back muscle
endurance in industrial workers with flexion-related
low back pain. Man Ther 2006; 11: 264–71.
12 Biering-Sorensen F. Physical measurements as risk
indicators for low back trouble over a one year
period. Spine 1984; 9: 106–19.
13 Luoto S, Heliovaara M, Hurri H, Alaranta H. Static
back endurance and the risk of low-back pain. Clin
Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 1995; 10: 323–24.
14 Kujala UM, Taimela S, Viljanen T et al. Physical
loading and performance as predictors of back pain in
healthy adults. A 5-year prospective study. Eur J Appl
Physiol Occup Physiol 1996; 73: 452–58.
15 Payne N, Gledhill N, Katzmarzyk PT, Jamnik V.
Health-related fitness, physical activity and history of
back pain. Can J Appl Physiol 2000; 25: 236–49.
16 Nourbakhsh MR, Arab AM. Relationship between
mechanical factors and incidence of low back pain.
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2002; 32: 447–60.
17 Tsuboi T, Satou T, Egawa K, IzumiY, Miyazaki
M. Spectral analysis of electromyogram in lumbar
muscles: fatigue induced endurance contraction.
Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1994; 69:
361–66.
18 Mayer TG, Kondraske G, Mooney V, Carmichael
TW, Butsch R. Lumbar myoelectric spectral analysis
for endurance assessment. A comparison of normals
with deconditioned patients. Spine 1989; 14:
986–91.
19 Roy SH, Deluca CJ, Emley M, Buijs RJ. Spectral
electromyographic assessment of back muscles in
patients with low back pain undergoing rehabilitation.
Spine 1995; 20: 38–48.
20 Ito T, Shirado O, Suzuki H, Takahashi M. Lumbar
trunk muscle endurance testing: an inexpensive
alternative to a machine for evaluation. Arch Phys
Med Rehabil 1996; 77: 75–79.
21 Moffroid MT. Endurance of trunk muscles in per-
sons with chronic low back pain: assessment, perfor-
mance, training. J Rehabil Res Dev 1997; 34:
440–47.
22 Malliou P, Gioftsidou A, Beneka A, Godolias G.
Measurements and evaluations in low back pain
patients. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2006; 16:
219–30.
23 Corin G, Strutton PH, McGregor AH. Establishment
of a protocol to test fatigue of the trunk muscles.
Br J Sports Med 2005; 39: 731–35.
24 Foster DN, Fulton MN. Back pain and the exercise
prescription. Clin Sports Med 1991; 10: 187–209.
25 Parnianpour M, Nordin M, Kahanovitz N, Frankel
V. The triaxial coupling of torque generation of
trunk muscles during isometric exertion and the
effect of fatiguing isoinertial movements on the
motor output and movement patterns. Spine 1988;
13: 982–92.
26 Moreau CE, Green BN, Johnson CD, Moreau SR.
Isometric back extension endurance tests: a review of
the literature. J Manip Physiol Ther 2001; 24:
110–22.
27 McIntosh G, Wilson L, Affieck M, Hall H. Trunk and
lower extremity muscle endurance: normative data for
adults. J Rehabil Outcome Meas 1998; 2: 20–39.
28 Demoulin C, Vanderthommen M, Duysens C,
Crielaard JM. Spinal muscle evaluation using the
Sorensen test: a critical appraisal of the literature.
Joint Bone Spine 2006; 73: 43–50.
29 Debeliso M, O’Shea JP, Harris C, Adamski KJ,
Climstein M. The relation between trunk strength
measures and lumbar disc deformation during stoop
type lifting. J Exerc Physiol 2004; 7: 16–26.
30 Schenk P, Klipstein A, Spillmann S, Strøyer J, Laubli
T. The role of back muscle endurance, maximum
force, balance and trunk rotation control regarding
lifting capacity. Eur J Appl Physiol 2006; 96: 146–56.
31 Kroll PG, Machado L, Happy C, Leong S, Chen B. The
relationship between five measures of trunk strength. J
Back Musculoskeletal Rehabil 2000; 14: 89–97.
32 Nicolaisen T, Jorgensen K. Trunk strength, back muscle
endurance and low back trouble. Scand J Rehabil Med
1985; 17: 121–27.
33 Kankaanpaa M, Taimela S, Laaksonen D, Hanninen
O, Airaksinen O. Back and hip extensor fatigability in
chronic low back pain patients and control. Arch Phys
Med Rehabil 1998; 79: 412–17.
34 Shrout PE, Fleiss JL. Intraclass correlation: use in
assessing rater reliability. Psychol Bull 1979; 86:
420–28.
35 Portney LG, Watkins MP. Foundations of clinical
research – applications to practice, second edition.
Prentice-Hall, 2000: 96–101.
36 Thorstensen A, Carlson H. Fiber types in human
lumbar back muscles. Acta Phys Scand 1987;
131: 185–202.
37 Armstrong RB. Mechanism of exercise-induced
delayed onset muscular soreness: a brief review. Med
Sci Sports Exerc 1984; 6: 529–38.
38 Roy SH, Oddsson LIE. Classification of paraspinal
muscle impairments by surface electromyography.
Phys Ther 1998; 78: 838–51.
39 Cooper RG, St Clair Forbes W, Jayson MIV.
Radiographic demonstration of paraspinal muscle
wasting in patients with chronic low back pain.
Br J Rheumatol 1992; 31: 389–94.
40 Hides JA, Stokes MJ, Saide M, Jull GA, Cooper DH.
Evidence of llumnar multifidus wasting ipsilateral to
symptom in patients with acute/subacute low back
pain. Spine 1994; 19: 165–72.
Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 647Clinical trunk muscle endurance tests 647
41 Moffroid M, Reid S, Henry SM, Haugh LD,
Ricamato A. Some endurance measures in persons
with chronic low back pain. J Orthop Sports Phys
Ther 1994; 20: 81–87.
42 Plamondon A, Trimble K, Larivière C, Desjardins P.
Back muscle fatigue during intermittent prone back
extension exercise. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2004;
14: 221–30.
43 Arokoski JP, Kankaapaa M,Valta T et al. Back and
hip extensor muscle function during therapeutic
exercises. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1999; 80:
842–50.
44 Latikka P, Battie MC, Videman T, Gibbsons LE.
Correlation of isokinetic and psychological back lift
and static back extensor endurance tests in men. Clin
Biomech 1995; 10: 325–30.
... Reliable measures in pain-free individuals could be used for assessment and plan preventative interventions [8,10]. Evidence proposed two types of tests (dynamic and static) to measure trunk muscle endurance in patients with LBP [10,11]. A static test assesses trunk muscle endurance without involving muscle shortening (isometric contraction). ...
... A static test assesses trunk muscle endurance without involving muscle shortening (isometric contraction). In contrast, a dynamic test evaluates the endurance of the trunk muscle, causing a shortening in muscle length (concentric contraction) [11]. Some tests need special devices, while others do not [11]. ...
... In contrast, a dynamic test evaluates the endurance of the trunk muscle, causing a shortening in muscle length (concentric contraction) [11]. Some tests need special devices, while others do not [11]. The Biering-Sørensen test is a simple, valid, and reliable static test for clinical assessment of trunk extensor endurance [12], also used in research to examine the performance of patients with LBP [13]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose Measuring trunk extensor muscle endurance is important for identifying non-specific low back pain (LBP) risk factors and prognostic indicators, planning treatment goals, and measuring patient progress. This randomized cross-over study evaluated the reliability and validity of a newly instrumented device for measuring lumbar spine extensor muscle endurance. Methods Thirty healthy men participated in this study. The Biering-Sørensen test (for the endurance time) and the newly invented device (for the number of repetitions) were applied to measure lumbar spine extensor muscle endurance in two separate weeks at a similar time of a day and with the same rater. Test–retest reliability and validity of the devices were examined via an intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC (2,1)], 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), standard errors of the measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, respectively. Results Test–retest reliability of the newly instrumented device demonstrated an excellent level of reliability [ICC (2,1): 0.969; 95% CI: 0.934–0.985; SEM: 2.65 repetition; MDC: 3.75 repetition]; while a moderate to good degree of test–retest reliability was found between the Biering-Sørensen test measurements [ICC (2,1): 0.884; 95% CI: 0.758–0.944; SEM: 13.31 s; MDC: 18.82 s]. Compared to the Biering-Sørensen test, the newly instrumented device had a moderately positive correlation (r = 0.283). Conclusion The newly instrumented device demonstrated adequate reliability and validity compared with the Biering-Sørensen test. Future studies should assess its clinometric properties in patients with musculoskeletal pain also including female participants.
... Jung et al. [30] reported that, among individuals with a CLBP subclassi ed a exion pattern, the physical predictors for CLBP included reductions in the knee extension ROM (KER), knee extension ROM with ankle dorsi exion (KEDR) and hip exor strength (HFS). Furthermore, previous authors have focused on the relationship between the CLBP subclassi ed exion pattern and trunk extensor endurance (TEE) [28,31] and pelvic posterior tilt angle (PPTA) in habitual sitting [25,32]. Additionally, it has been suggested that the restriction of the hip ROM, such as hip exion ROM (HFR) and hip internal rotation ROM (HIR), which leads to repeated compensatory movements in the lumbopelvic region during daily activities, constitutes a potential factor for developing CLBP [33][34][35][36][37]. ...
... The trunk extensor muscles are recognized as postural muscles that support an upright posture and regulate forward exion of the lumbar spine [31]. In the context of LBP, it has been reported that the assessment of TEE has a greater validity to distinguish between individuals with and without LBP Moreau [83] reported that the performance time during TEE tests was signi cantly in uenced by the motivation and effort exerted by subjects, which may limit their accuracy. ...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background The purpose of this study was to establish a prediction model for classifying the presence of flexion pattern chronic low back pain (CLBP) in office workers, including physical, individual, psychological, and occupational factors. Methods Ninety-five office workers (48 workers with CLBP and 47 workers without CLBP) participated in this study. Hip flexion ROM (HFR), knee extension ROM, knee extension ROM with ankle dorsiflexion, hip internal rotation ROM (HIR), hip flexor strength, pelvic posterior tilt angle (PPTA) in habitual sitting, and trunk extensor endurance were measured. Twelve variables (9 physical variables and age, sex, body mass index, Beck Depression Index, and working duration) were used to develop the prediction model for the presence of flexion pattern CLBP using logistic regression. Results The probability of the presence of flexion pattern CLBP significantly decreased with an odds ratio of HFR 0.884 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.817―0.957) and HIR 0.860 (95% CI = 0.799―0.926), but it increased with an odds ratio of PPTA in habitual sitting 1.190 (95% CI = 1.058―1.339). Our model showed acceptable accuracy of 82.1% and an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.898 Conclusions HFR, HIR, and PPTA in habitual sitting could serve as guidelines for preventing and managing flexion pattern CLBP in office workers.
... Participants and patients warmed up with five minutes of cycling at 80 W at a self-selected cadence. Participants performed the two tests in a random order (coin tossing) with a ten-minute break in between [31]. For the participants, the respective first leg assessed was randomly allocated as the reported dominant or nondominant leg; for the patients, it was always the dominant leg first. ...
Article
Full-text available
(1) Background: The isokinetic measurement (IM) of the leg muscles is well established but costly, whereas the Bunkie Test (BT) is a rarely investigated but easy-to-conduct functional test to evaluate the total posterior chain. Although the tests differ in aim and test structures, both have their justification in the assessment process. Therefore, this study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the BT and the IM. (2) Methods: 21 participants (9 female, 12 male; age, 26.2 ± 5.26 years; weight 73.8 ± 14.6 kg; height 176.0 ± 9.91 cm) and 21 patients (9 female, 12 male; age, 26.5 ± 5.56 years; weight, 72.6 ± 16.9 kg; height 177.0 ± 10.1 cm) with self-reported pain in the knee performed the IM and the BT. For IM, we calculated the ratio of the knee mean flexor/extensor peak torque (H/Q ratio) for 60°/s and 120°/s, and BT performance was measured in seconds. We classified the IM (<0.6 H/Q ratio) and the BT (leg difference ≥4 s) as binary results according to the literature. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity, which we compared with the Chi-Square test, and the 95% confidence intervals (CI). A p-value of ≤0.05 is considered significant. (3) Results: The sensitivity for the BT was 0.89, 95% CI [0.67, 0.99], and the specificity was 0.52 [0.30, 0.74]. For the IM, the sensitivity was 0.14 [0.03, 0.36] for 60°/s and 0.05 [0.00, 0.24] for 120°/s, and the specificity was 0.70 [0.46, 0.88] for 60°/s and 0.90 [0.68, 0.99] for 120°/s. The results of the Chi-Square tests were significant for the BT (χ2 (1) = 6.17, p = 0.01) but not for the IM (60°/s: χ2 (1) = 0.70, p = 0.40; 120°/s: χ2 (1) = 0.00, p = 0.97). (4) Conclusions: Patients were more likely to obtain a positive test result for the BT but not for the IM.
... The testing procedures began with a pain assessment using the VAS, where participants rated their level of LBP on a scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (unbearable pain) (17). The PDSLR test was administered to evaluate trunk extensor performance, a reliable and effective measures of isometric endurance in the lower spinal extensor muscles (18). Participants assumed in a prone position with extended hips, placing their hands placed under their forehead, and positioning their forearms perpendicular to the body. ...
... Pain severity was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) where participants were asked to mark their pain intensity on a scale ranging from 0 points (no pain) to 10 points (unbearable pain) (Strong, Ashton, & Chant, 1991). Trunk extensor performance was assessed using the prone double straight leg raise (PDSLR) test, a simple and effective tool that measures the isometric endurance of the lower spinal extensor muscles (Arab, Salavati, Ebrahimi, & Ebrahim Mousavi, 2007). Participants were instructed to lie-down in prone with hips extended and hands under the forehead, forearms perpendicular to the body, then raise both legs until knee clearance, and hold the position as long as possible. ...
Article
Full-text available
This preliminary study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the 360° TitaniUM Core Strength Exercise© on both pain intensity and trunk extensor performance amongst chronic non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) in Malaysian government sector workers. Participants with chronic NSLBP were randomly assigned into either the interventions or control group. Participants in the intervention groups received a 12-week program of the 360° TitaniUM Core Strength Exercise© with progressively increased on the frequency, intensity, or duration of training, while the control group received no treatment. Pain intensity and trunk extensor performance were assessed at pre-intervention and post-intervention. The results showed a significant improvement in pain intensity and trunk extensor performance in all intervention groups compared to the control group, with the intervention duration group and intervention intensity group indicated a superior improvement, respectively. Although the intervention groups experienced a great reduction in pain intensity, no statistically significant difference was observed between all groups. Whereas there was a significant interaction between time and groups on trunk extensor performance between all the interventions and control group. These findings suggest that the 360° TitaniUM Core Strength Exercise© with appropriate dosage of exercise is an effective core exercise program for managing chronic NSLBP.
... Prone plank bridge, supine bridge, and side bridge tests are the most commonly used functional tests for assessing patients with low back problems in daily clinical practice. However, they do not evaluate possible kinematic impairments for LBP patients compared to healthy individuals [39,40]. In our study, we introduced and measured for the first time, to our knowledge, the kinematic components of the most widely used clinical tests for low back pain assessment. ...
Article
Full-text available
Lumbar muscle atrophy, diminished strength, stamina, and increased fatigability have been associated with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP). When evaluating patients with LBP, trunk or core stability, provided by the performance and coordination of trunk muscles, appears to be essential. Several clinical tests have been developed to identify deficiencies in trunk performance, demonstrating high levels of validity and reproducibility. The most frequently prescribed tests for assessing the core body muscles are the prone plank bridge test (PBT), the side bridge test (SBT), and the supine bridge test (SUBT). However, quantitative assessments of the kinematics of the lumbar spine during their execution have not yet been conducted. The purpose of our study was to provide objective biomechanical data for the assessment of LBP patients. The lumbar spine ranges of motion of 22 healthy subjects (Group A) and 25 patients diagnosed with chronic LBP (Group B) were measured using two inertial measurement units during the execution of the PBT, SUBT, and SBT. Statistically significant differences between the two groups were found in all three tests' kinematic patterns. This quantitative assessment of lumbar spine motion transforms the three bridge tests into an objective biomechanical diagnostic tool for LPBs that may be used to assess the efficacy of applied rehabilitation programs.
... Time is measured in seconds. Higher results indicate better endurance of spinal extensor muscle [40]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background A biopsychosocial rehabilitation is recommended for chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP); however, its effectiveness compared to the traditional supervised exercise therapy of CNLBP treatment is still unclear. Methods This was a parallel-group randomized controlled clinical trial. The sample consisted of 180 participants of both sexes, aged ≥18 years, with CNLBP for ≥3 months. Using web randomization and concealed allocation, they were assigned to three groups; graded activity receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy, group-based combined exercise therapy and education (GA; n = 59), supervised group-based combined exercise therapy and education (SET; n = 63), and a control group receiving usual care (n = 58). Interventions were administered for 4 weeks (8 sessions). The primary outcome was pain intensity. Outcome measures were collected baseline, after interventions (4 weeks), and during two follow-up periods (3 and 6 months). Results After the intervention, GA had a significant large effect on pain reduction compared to the control group (MD of 22.64 points; 95% CI = 16.10 to 29.19; p < 0.0001; Cohen’s d = 1.70), as well as SET compared with the control group (MD of 21.08 points; 95% CI = 14.64 to 27.52; p < 0.0001; Cohen’s d = 1.39), without significant difference between two intervention groups. At 3 and 6 months of follow-up, GA had a statistically significantly better effect in reducing pain, disability and fear-avoidance beliefs, and improving spinal extensor endurance, range of extension and quality of life compared to SET and the control group. A statistically significantly better effect of SET compared with the control group was found in reducing pain, disability, fear-avoidance beliefs, and improving the physical component of quality of life. Harms were not reported. Conclusion This study suggests that graded activity and group-based supervised exercise therapy have beneficial effects over the control group in the treatment of CNLBP. The graded activity was more beneficial than supervised group-based exercise therapy only during the follow-up. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04023162; registration date: 17/07/2019).
... 22 Anterior plank test: The participant is asked to lift the trunk by giving weight to the forearms and toes while the elbows are in the flexion position, and the evaluation is made by recording how long the position can be maintained. 23 Lateral plank test: For this test, the participant is asked to lie on nondominant side, and the support surface is created by flexing the elbow with the arm under the body. The person is asked to place the upper hand on her waist and, when ready, lift her hip and knee from the ground and build a bridge. ...
Article
Amaç: Pilates gibi zihin-beden egzersizleri, bireyin kas-iskelet sistemi sorunlarıyla baş etmesine yardımcı olan etkili yöntemlerdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, sağlıklı kadınlarda gözlem altında ve ev tabanlı klinik pilates egzersizlerinin fiziksel uygunluk, psikososyal durum ve egzersiz inançları üzerindeki etkisini incelemek idi. Yöntem: 38 sağlıklı kadın, gözlem altında (n = 19) ve ev tabanlı (n = 19) olmak üzere iki gruba ayrıldı. Fiziksel uygunluk modifiye push-up, mekik, otur-kalk, anterior köprü, lateral köprü, Biering-Sorensen, gövde fleksörleri endurans, kalk yürü ve 6 dk yürüme testleri ve vücut kitle indeksi (VKİ),bel kalça oranı (BKO) ölçümleri ile; psikososyal durum Sosyal Görünüş Kaygı Ölçeği (SGKO), Rosenberg Benlik Saygısı Ölçeği (RBSO), Beden İmajı Ölçeği ve Egzersiz İnanışları Anketi ile değerlendirildi. Her iki grup haftada 3 gün, 8 hafta boyunca 24 seanslık egzersiz programını tamamladı. Bulgular: Programdan sonra, gözlem altında ki grup modifiye şınav, mekik, otur ve kalk, anterior plank, lateral plank, Biering-Sorensen, gövde fleksör endurans testleri ile SGKO, RBSO'de ve ve Egzersiz İnanışları puanları anlamlı düzeyde gelişti (p
Article
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between five common methods of measuring isometric trunk strength and endurance: Isometric flexion and extension tests, an upright lifting task, and timed isometric flexion and extension endurance tests. Fifty-six healthy individuals (aged 18-65 years) with no history of back problems or disease volunteered for this study. Data were analyzed using a Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Student's T-test. Significant relationships (p < 0.0001) were found between the B-200 isometric extension and upright pull (r = 0.75); B-200 isometric flexion and upright pull (r = 0.78); and B-200 isometric flexion and B-200 isometric extension (r = 0.80). Men demonstrated greater strength than women in B-200 isometric flexion and extension, as well as in the upright pull measures (p < 0.05). A variety of measures are frequently used to evaluate trunk "strength" in force production and endurance. Although strong correlation was observed among measures of force, no significant relationships were demonstrated between endurance and force measures. This suggests that a subject who demonstrates a strong performance on strength test of force may not necessarily display an equally strong performance on a strength test of endurance. Hence, to obtain a full picture of a person's performance capabilities, measures of both force and endurance should be incorporated into evaluation protocols.
Article
The purpose of this study was to identify strength and flexibility deficits in subjects with chronic low-back pain (CLBP). Subjects were 16 female Division I athletes: 8 athletes who had experienced CLBP for at least 6 months prior to testing and a control group of 8 matched subjects. Athletes with neurological symptoms, previous back operations, and leg length discrepancies and those who were diagnosed with scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, or spondylolysis were excluded from this study. Variables assessed included abdominal strength, erector spinae endurance, hip flexion and extension endurance, torso lateral flexibility, and lowback flexibility. Strength and endurance were calculated as a function of time in seconds. Goniometric measurements were used to determine flexibility. Significant mean differences were found by using dependent t tests for abdominal strength, erector spinae endurance, hip extension, and right lateral flexion of the torso. The results validate the necessity for pelvic stabilization and indicate that strength and flexibility deficits vary among populations.
Article
There currently is a clinical need for an objective technique to assess muscle dysfunction associated with chronic lower back pain. A Back Analysis System for objectively measuring local fatigue in the back extensor muscles is presented. The reliability and validity of this technique was evaluated by testing chronic low-back pain patients and control subjects without back pain. Concurrent surface electromyograms (EMG) were detected from multiple back muscles during sustained isometric contractions at different force levels of trunk extension. Median frequency parameters of the EMG power density spectrum were monitored to quantify localized muscle fatigue. Results indicated: 1) high reliability estimates for repeated trials; 2) significant differences (P less than 0.05) in median frequency parameters between lower back pain patients and control subjects for specific combinations of contractile force level and muscle site tested; 3) Median Frequency parameters correctly classified lower back pain and control subjects using a two-group discriminant analysis procedure. The applicability of this technique as a treatment outcome measure and diagnostic screening method for lower back pain patients is discussed.
Article
The occurrence of low-back pain (LBP) was investigated in a retrospective cross sectional study of a random sample of 1,760 38 to 64-year-old women. The lifetime incidence of LBP was 66% and the prevalence was 35%. Neither the lifetime incidence nor the prevalence rates were significantly associated with age. Inability to work because of LBP was found in 2.6% of the women In the 38-to 49-year age group and 5.9% among 50- to 64-year-old women (P < 0.05). The utilization of medical services because of LBP was high, but only 1% of all investigated women had had a back operation. Forty-seven percent of the women In the prevalence group had experienced leg pain (sciatica), the frequency being significantly higher among the older women (P < 0.01). Increased LBP when performing certain activities of daily living was common, and significantly more pronounced in the older age group.
Article
Low-back pain and injury are responsible for a major portion of lost workdays and injury compensation claims. Strong well-conditioned trunk musculature has been forwarded as a counter measure towards reducing low-back injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine if strong well-conditioned trunk muscles relieve stresses encountered by the lumbar spine during stoop type lifting. Twelve male subjects (49.7±3.7 yr) performed a session of stoop type lifting with a loaded milk crate (11.5 kg), at 4 reps/min, for 15 min in accordance with the NIOSH lifting equation. Lateral fluoroscopic images were collected prior to and following the lifting session with the subjects positioned at the initiation (flexed trunk), mid-range, and completion of the lift (erect standing). The initial series of images were collected under a no-load condition, while the second series were collected with the subjects lifting the 11.5 kg milk crate. Images were imported into AutoCAD where lumbar disc deformation and joint angles were measured by calculating changes in position of adjacent vertebra (L3-4 and L4-5). A reduction of deformation was deemed indicative of reduced stress. Trunk extension and flexion strength were measured with a Kin Com isokinetic dynamometer. Trunk flexion endurance was measured via a 60 s curl-up test. Trunk strength and endurance were compared to disc deformation and joint angles to determine if any meaningful relationships existed. Significant inverse relationships were detected (p<0.05) between: abdominal strength and shear deformation (flexed trunk: positions: r=-0.63 thru -0.96), abdominal endurance and shear deformation (erect trunk: r=-0.74 thru -0.75), and spinal erector strength and L3-L4 joint angle (erect trunk: r=-0.60). Strong, well-conditioned trunk musculature is associated with reduced lumbar disc deformation and presumably, less stress on the lumbar spine.
Article
Objectives: The goals of this study were to verify the reliability and safety of new methods for evaluating trunk muscle endurance, and to compare the differences between healthy subjects and patients with chronic low-back pain. Design: Randomized and controlled study. Setting: A referral center and institutional practice, and outpatient care. Subjects: Ninety healthy subjects (37 men and 53 women average age 46.2 years) and 100 patients with CLBP (40 men and 60 women; average age 45.3 years) participated in this study. Main outcome measures: During trunk flexor and extensor endurance tests, the subjects were asked to maintain the original positions for as long as possible. The performance time (seconds) for which subject could maintain the position was compared between two groups. Test-retest correlation (r) was also analyzed. The degree of lumbar lordosis was compared in conventional and new methods. Results: All test-retest correlations were significantly high in both groups (p < .01). The performance time was much longer in the healthy subjects than in the patients with CLBP during any procedures (p < .01). Lumbar lordosis was significantly less in our method than in the Kraus-Weber test (p < .01). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that our methods for measuring trunk flexor and extensor endurance had high reliability, reproducibility, and safety, and were easy to perform, with no need for special equipment. This study also showed that trunk muscles in patients with CLBP were more easily fatigued, compared with those in healthy subjects.
Article
Objective: To compare the lumbar paraspinal and gluteus maximus muscle fatigability between chronic low back pain patients and healthy controls by using electromyographic (EMG) spectral analysis during a maximal isometric endurance task. Design: A cross-sectional comparative study between chronic low back pain patients and healthy control subjects. Setting: Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic in Finland. Subjects: Twenty women with nonspecific chronic low back pain (longer than 3 months) and 15 healthy controls. Intervention: Subjects performed maximal voluntary isometric back extensions (MVC) at 30 degrees forward flexion in a specially designed measurement unit. A 50% MVC load was used in isometric endurance test. Outcome measures: Low back pain intensity was assessed by using the visual analogue scale and functional disability by the Oswestry disability index. Time to endurance was measured. Bipolar surface EMG recordings were made over the lumbar paraspinal muscles (L3-L4, L5-S1) and over the gluteus maximus muscles. Average EMG (aEMG%), and initial spectral median frequency (MFinit) and change over time (MFslope) were computed. Results: Pain intensity and functional disability were higher and MVC and time to endurance were lower in the chronic low back pain group (p < .05). Similar muscle activity levels (aEMG%) and MFinit indicated similar muscle loading in both groups at the beginning of the endurance test. EMG spectral decreases (MFslope) indicated that lumbar paraspinal muscle fatigability was similar in both groups. In the chronic low back pain group, the gluteus maximus fatigued faster than in the control group (greater MFslope, p < .05). However, the shorter endurance time indicated greater fatigability in the chronic low back pain group in general (p < .05). Conclusions: The chronic low back pain patients were weaker and fatigued faster than the healthy controls. The EMG fatigue analysis results suggest that the gluteus maximus muscles are more fatigable in chronic low back pain patients than in healthy control subjects during a sustained back extension endurance test.