title: Diagnostic accuracy of upper cervical spine instability tests: a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with neck pain, headache, torticollis, or neurological signs should be screened carefully for upper cervical spine instability, as these conditions are "red flags" for applying physical therapy interventions. However, little is known about the diagnostic accuracy of upper cervical spine instability tests.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of upper cervical spine instability screening tests in patients or people who are healthy.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and RECAL Legacy databases were searched from their inception through October 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were included that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of upper cervical instability screening tests in patients or people who are healthy and in which sensitivity and specificity were reported or could be calculated using a 2 × 2 table.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two reviewers independently performed data extraction and the methodological quality assessment using the QUADAS-2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on heterogeneity, statistical pooling was performed. All diagnostic parameters (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios) were recalculated, if possible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five studies were included in this systematic review. Statistical pooling was not possible due to clinical and statistical heterogeneity. Specificity of 7 tests was sufficient, but sensitivity varied. Predictive values were variable. Likelihood ratios also were variable, and, in most cases, the confidence intervals were large.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The included studies suffered from several biases. None of the studies evaluated upper cervical spine instability tests in patients receiving primary care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The membranes tests had the best diagnostic accuracy, but their applicability as a test for diagnosing upper cervical spine instability in primary care has yet to be confirmed.
authors.affiliation: N. Hutting, PT, MT, MSc, Department of Manual Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, and HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Mailing address: Pieter Breughelhof 2, 5121 EW Rijen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hutting
authors.forename: Gwendolijne G M
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Scholten-Peeters
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vijverman
authors.forename: Martin D M
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Keesenberg
authors.forename: Arianne P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Verhagen
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity