Dear Geoff,

You're certainly joking, there!
Maitland is certainly one of founders of osteopathy but none therapy had shown a superiority on another.
Osteopathy as PT and ... works on some, fails on others. :\

On the contrary, there would be tons of evidence showing its superiority! |I

But anatomically (and I do not need a book for this basic knowledge), a vertebrae has 4 facets joints.
2 on each side and it is a fact that in the lumbar area the vertebral body is situated at a depth 8/10 cm. I can say it because I saw it in surgery rooms and in my manuals.

So, trying to mobilize a (and only one) Wikipedia reference-linkfacet joint in these conditions is simply non logical, non anatomical, non scientific and an absolute impossibility!:rollin