Postoperative radiculopathy is a complication of posterior cervical decompression associated with tethering of the nerve root. We reviewed retrospectively 287 consecutive patients with cervical compression myelopathy who had been treated by multilevel cervical laminectomy and identified 37 (12.9%) with postoperative radiculopathy. There were 27 men and ten women with a mean age of 56 years at the time of operation. The diagnosis was either cervical spondylosis (25 patients) or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (12 patients). Radiculopathy was observed from four hours to six days after surgery. The most frequent pattern of paralysis was involvement of the C5 and C6 roots of the motor-dominant type. The mean time for recovery was 5.4 months (two weeks to three years). The results at follow-up showed that the rate of motor recovery was negatively related to the duration of complete recovery of postoperative radiculopathy (γ = −0.832, p < 0.01) and that patients with spondylotic myelopathy had a significantly better rate of clinical recovery than those with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (t = 2.960, p < 0.01). Postoperative radiculopathy may be prevented by carrying out an anterior decompression in conjunction with spinal fusion, which will achieve stabilisation and directly remove compression of the cord at multiple levels

Background and purpose: Lumbar traction is a common treatment for LBP with radiculopathy. Despite this, its benefits remain to be established. This paradox has significant economic and therapeutic consequences as 3–10% of patients with LBP in the UK have radiculopathy and over 40% of UK physiotherapists use this approach (Harte et al 2005). The purpose of this pragmatic randomised clinical trial was to assess the benefit of lumbar traction in addition to a manipulation package with these patients in a manner that reflects clinical practice. Methods: 30 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for lumbosacral radiculopathy were recruited from the NHS and randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: Group 1 received manipulation, advice and exercises; Group 2 received traction, manipulation, advice and exercises. Outcome measures were recorded at baseline, completion of treatment and at 3 and 6 months post completion of treatment (MPQ, RMDQ, SF36, and the ALBPSQ). In addition VAS scores for back and leg pain and the percentage of overall improvement (patients perception) were recorded after each treatment. Results: 30 patients were recruited over an 11-month period: 40% male, mean age 44 years, mean duration of current episode 7 weeks. Post treatment results (n = 27) showed a significant improvement in all outcomes for both groups (paired t-test, p > .01) but there was no significant difference demonstrated between groups (ANCOVA). Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of a trial with this sub-group of LBP patients and a large multi-centred trial would need to be conducted to fully address this research question

The Extensor Digitorum Brevis is an easily visualised superficial muscle present on the dorsolateral aspect of the foot. It is innervated by the terminal branches of L5. Wasting of this muscle has been described as a sign of L5 radiculopathy, however its specificity and sensitivity as a clinical sign in patients with disc disease has never been assessed to the best of our knowledge. The purpose of our study was to determine the effectiveness of this sign in patients with a know L5 radiculopathy. We included three groups of patients, which were prospectively assessed by a blinded single examiner. Group A were patients with a clinical L5 radiculopathy confirmed on MRI, Group B were patients with a clinical a S1 radiculopathy confirmed on MRI and Group C were a control group. There were 20 patients in each group, 10 male and 10 female, mean age 38 years (range 19 – 57 years). Our inclusion criteria were leg pain greater than 6 weeks, we excluded and patient with a history of previous disc disease or foot surgery. A positive sign was defined as a gross clinical wasting of the extensor digitorum brevis compared to the opposite foot. The sign was negative in all 20 patients in the control group. The sign was positive in 12 patients (60%) with L5 radiculopathy and only one patient (5%) with S1 radiculopathy. Fishers exact test confirmed statistical significance between the two groups with a p value of < 0.05. We conclude that this easily performed objective clinical sign, when used inpatients with leg pain, is highly specific in determining the pressure of an L5 root involvement

Introduction and Aims Back pain patients usually demand more time in clinic. A significant proportion of this time is spent in performing clinical examination. It has been recognised that detailed history of symptoms is the backbone in reaching the diagnosis and deciding the management plan for patients with lower back pain and/or radiculopathy. The aim of the study was to look at 1) Contributions from History and Examination. 2) Does Clinical Examination add any further information not identified from history?. Method A prospective, blinded study was carried out to determine the usefulness of history and clinical examination, individually to reach the diagnosis and plan the management. 75 consecutive lower back pain and/or radiculopathy patients were included in the study. Two orthopaedic registrars saw all the patients. One took detailed history and the other registrar performed clinical examination. Both registrars based on their information arrived at a provisional diagnosis. A consultant also took history and examined these patients. MRI scan was done as per clinical indication. Results The data was analysed using standard statistics software. In all patients history suggested the possible diagnosis. Clinical examination did not add any further information to alter the course of management, which was planned for the patient. Clinical examination did not show any further information that was not identified in the MRI scan. Conclusion Clinical examination does not add to the body of information available from history. Clinical examination does not add any further information not available on the scan. Clinical examination should be performed for patients considered for surgery to document the findings; here both subjective and objective assessment should be performed. Examination is not a useful screening tool

Introduction and Aims: Back pain patients usually demand more time in clinic. A significant proportion of this time is spent in performing clinical examination. It has been recognised that a detailed history of symptoms is the backbone in reaching the diagnosis and deciding the management plan for patients with lower back pain and/or radiculopathy. Method: A prospective, blinded study was carried out to determine the usefulness of history and clinical examination, individually, to reach the diagnosis and plan the management. Sixty consecutive lower back pain and/or radiculopathy patients were included in the study. All the patients were seen by two orthopaedic registrars. Detailed history was taken by one and clinical examination was performed by the other registrar. A provisional diagnosis was made by both registrars based on their information. A consultant also took history and examined these patients. MRI scan was done as per clinical indication. Results: The gathered information was analysed using standard statistics software. The data indicates that clinical examination on its own was non-contributory in reaching diagnosis and plan the management. All information obtained by history alone correlated well with MRI results. The full results and cost implications will be discussed. Conclusion: Routine clinical examination of spine can be omitted without compromising the patient care, where clear history is available to reach diagnosis and plan the management. Clinical examination should be performed on those patients who need surgery to document the pre-operative neurology

Introduction The use of unconstrained artificial cervical disc replacement (specifically the Bryan ® prosthesis) allows maintenance of normal cervical motion (unlike conventional fusion techniques) with the goal of alleviating neck and arm pain associated with spondylotic radiculopathy. As a relatively new technique, there is little in the literature regarding patient satisfaction with this device and there are no long term trials defining the most appropriate indication for this device nor benefits over alternative and more conventional procedures such as discectomy and fusion. This study aimed to quantify the degree of disability and functional limitation in patients selected for Bryan disc replacement both pre-operatively and from 3 months post-operatively. Methods The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the SF36 Index were both used, being robust and reproducible tools in this setting. Patients completed questionnaires pre-operatively and from 3 months post-operatively. From 1 to 3 Bryan disc prostheses were implanted in the cervical spine at each operation. Post-operative index scores were compared with the pre-operative scores for 45 patients who completed all questionnaires, from a total of 47 operated patients in one practice (97% response, 69 total implants). Results Patients reported a decrease in measured disability and an increase in general functioning and wellbeing after Bryan cervical disc replacement. Where 100% represents total and complete disability, the mean ODI improved from 43.65% pre-operatively (95% confidence interval 37.9 – 49.4) to 19.4% (14.0 – 24.9) post-operatively. Where 100% represents full and limitless functioning, the mean SF36 improved from 42.7% pre-operatively (36.7 – 48.6) to 64.9% (57.7 – 72.0) post-operatively. All the results were significant (p value < 0.05). Discussion After single and multiple level Bryan cervical disc replacements in the cervical spine, there is significant decrease in perceived disability and pain as well as improvement in functional ability when compared to the pre-operative status of these patients. It is proposed that if undertaking cervical discectomy, maintenance of normal cervical motion where possible correlates with higher patient satisfaction when compared to more conventional cervical discectomy techniques

Aims: It is believed that arthrodesis of spinal segments leads to excessive stress at unfused adjacent levels. The incidence, prevalence and radiographic progression of symptomatic adjacent-segment disease were studied. Methods: A series of 85 patients who had an anterior cervical arthrodesis for the treatment of cervical spondylosis with radiculopathy or mielopathy were reviewed with a minimum of 7 months and a maximum of ten year follow-up. The annual incidence of adjacent-segment disease was defined as the percentage of patients who had been disease-free at the start of a given year of follow-up in whom new disease developed during that year. The prevalence was defined as the percentage of all patients in whom symptomatic adjacent-segment disease developed within a given period of follow-up. The hypothesis that new disease at an adjacent level is more likely to develop following multilevel arthrodesis was also tested. Results: Symptomatic adjacent-level disease occurred at an incidence of 5,3% per year, with an 18,2% maximum at the third year of follow-up and a final prevalence of 34,1%. The greatest risk of new disease was at the interspaces of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. Patients with a multilevel arthodesis were significantly more likely to have symptomatic adjacent-level disease. Conclusions: Symptomatic adjacent-segment disease may affect more than one-third of all patients within ten years after an anterior cervical arthrodesis. A multilevel arthrodesis and the interspaces between the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae appear to be the greatest risk factors for new disease

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the type of cervical disc herniation influences the severity of symptoms at the time of presentation, and the outcome after surgical treatment.

Background: Nerve Root pain is a problem caused by mechanical compression from disc herniation or foraminal stenosis, which stimulates an inflammatory response. We present a review of the evidence for corticosteroid infiltration in nerve root infiltration (NRI).

Methods: Medline, Embase, trial registries, conference proceedings and article reference lists were searched to identify randomised controlled trials of the use of NRI in the treatment of radicular pain. For the purpose of this meta-analysis, the control group “no steroid” was chosen to encompass various subtypes. The primary outcomes were Oswestry Disability Scores (ODI) and Visual Analogue Scores (VAS) for pain. Outcomes were compared at 3 and 6 months from injection. For the purpose of the meta-analysis, repeat injection and progression to surgery are grouped as a composite endpoint.

Results: We identified 96 papers; but only 5 RCT’s which included 402 patients receiving NRI; 202 were randomised to receiving steroids. No trials reported significant intergroup differences in baseline VAS or ODI.

At 3 months there was no significant difference in VAS or ODI between the groups. Only two trials reported ODI data at 6 months but a significant effect in favour of the control arm was noted (P = 0.040). Four of the five trials reported the need for further injection or surgery due to failure but no significant difference between the groups was found (P = 0.038).

Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that the addition of steroids to local anaesthetic agents or placebo solutions confers no additional benefit, but the theoretical risk of infection. Further information is needed on hospital stay, economic and long term responses, and is required to counter confounding with small trials and study numbers, and any methodological heterogeneity.

To evaluate prognostic factors that influence outcome particularly those related to duration of symptoms in surgery for lumbar radiculopathy, #2

In primary care 75% of patients are pain free after the onset of sciatica within 28 days. The optimum timing of surgery for unresolved leg pain secondary to herniated lumbar disc is unclear.

#2 We prospectively recruited 113 patients in this study and at one year, the follow up was available on 103 (91%). We investigated the prognostic value of a number of variables. These included the duration of sciatic symptoms, age at operation, Modified Zung Depression Score (MZD) and Modified Somatic Perception Score (MSP) using multiple regression analysis. The outcome was measured by the change of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Low Back Outcome Score (LBOS) and of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Patients with contained and non-contained herniated disc were compared.

The change in ODI is statistically significantly associated with the duration of sciatica symptoms (p=0.05) with a one-month increase in the duration of symptoms being associated with a decrease in the change of ODI of 0.6% (95% CI, −1.014 to −0.187). The duration of sciatica and the MZD are associated with significant reduction in LBOS (p=0.034 and 0.028 respectively). VAS was not significantly associated with all the prognostic factors investigated.

A shorter duration of sciatic symptoms was associated with a greater degree of patients’ outcome satisfaction. Non-contained herniated disc had a shorter duration of symptoms and a better functional outcome compared to contained herniated disc. Unemployment and smoking were not risk factors for poor surgical outcome.

Conclusion: Our study indicates that the duration of radicular pain of more than 12 months has a less favourable outcome. Patient’s satisfaction is greatest if surgery occurs within one year.

Spinal stenosis and disc herniation are the two most frequent causes of lumbosacral nerve root compression. This can result in muscle weakness and present with or without pain. The difficulty when managing patients with these conditions is knowing when surgery is better than non-operative treatment: the evidence is controversial. Younger patients with a lesser degree of weakness for a shorter period of time have been shown to respond better to surgical treatment than older patients with greater weakness for longer. However, they also constitute a group that fares better without surgery. The main indication for surgical treatment in the management of patients with lumbosacral nerve root compression should be pain rather than weakness.

Background. It has become increasingly important to conduct studies assessing clinical outcomes, reoperation rates, and revision rates to better define the indications and efficacy of lumbar spinal procedures and its association with symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration (sASD). Adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) is defined as the radiographic change in the intervertebral discs adjacent to the surgically treated spinal level. SASD represents adjacent segment degeneration which causes pain or numbness due to post-operative spinal instability or nerve compression at the same level. The most common reason for early reoperation and late operation is sASD, therefore is in our best interest to understand the causes of ASD and make steps to limit the occurrence. Method. A comprehensive literature search was performed selecting Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective or prospective studies published up to December 2023. Meta-analysis was performed on 38 studies that met the inclusion criteria and included data of clinical outcomes of patients who had degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, radiculopathy, and spondylolisthesis and underwent lumbar fusion or motion-preservation device surgery; and reported on the prevalence of ASD, sASD, reoperation rate, visual analogue score (VAS), and Oswestry disability index (ODI) improvement. Results. When compared to fusion surgery, a significant reduction of ASD, sASD and reoperation was observed in the cohort of patients that underwent motion-preserving surgery. Conclusion. Dynamic fusion constructs are treatment options that may help to prevent sASD. Conflicts of interest. This research was funded by Paradigm Spine. Sources of funding. Paradigm Spine

Introduction. The Odom's criteria are, since 1958, a widely used 4-point rating scale for assessing the clinical outcome after cervical spine surgery. Surprisingly, the Odom's criteria have never been validated. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Odom's criteria for the evaluation of surgical procedures of the cervical spine. Methods. Patients with degenerative cervical spine disease were included and divided into two groups, based on their most predominant symptom: myelopathy or radiculopathy. Reliability was assessed with inter-rater and test-retest design using a quadratic weighted Kappa coefficient. Construct validity was assessed by means of hypothesis testing with related constructs. To evaluate if the Odom's criteria could act as a global perceived effect (GPE) scale, we assessed concurrent validity by comparing the areas under the curves (AUCs) of the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) with both the Odom's criteria, as the GPE as an anchor. Results. A total of 110 patients were included in the study. Overall inter-rater reliability was k=0.77 and the test-retest reliability k=0.93. Inter-rater reliability for the radiculopathy patients was κ=0.81 and for myelopathy patients κ=0.68. More than 75% of the hypotheses were met. The AUCs showed similar characteristics between the Odom's criteria and GPE. Conclusion. The Odom's criteria meet the predefined criteria for reliability and validity. Therefore, the Odom's criteria may be used to measure surgical outcome after a cervical spine procedure. Results of previous studies that have been deemed less trustworthy, because of the use of the Odom's criteria, should be reconsidered. No conflicts of interests. No funding obtained

Background. Gore and Nadkarni described a ‘Gore sign’ of reproducing radiating leg pain by palpation of distal nerve root endings in the foot for L5 and S1 nerve roots in lumbar radiculopathy due to disc prolapse. Purpose. This sign was explored and observation of symptoms recorded. Results. There were 31 patients, 20 females and 11 males, aged 25 to 76 years. 13 patients had acute disc prolapse, 14 had lumbar canal stenosis, 3 had annular tears and one had a facet cyst. Radiating leg pain was reproduced in all patients by palpation of distal nerve root endings and was immediately relieved by local anaesthetic injection around distal nerve root endings in all patients (second part of Gore test). New clinical signs were observed which have not been described before:. Back pain was reproduced in 21 patients. L4 nerve root pain was reproduced in 13 patients by palpation of the proximal tibia. Crossed leg pain was reproduced in 5 patients. Reproduction of pain by palpation of more than one distal nerve root ending was observed in 16 patients. Cessation of radiating leg pain by palpation of distal nerve root endings in two patients. These test were positive in patients with varied pathology producing radiculopathy, not just disc prolapse. Conclusion. Provocative nerve root tension signs can be difficult in severe pain. The tests described above can be performed without having to move the patient's lower limb. These observations open up discussion on the mechanism of radiculopathy and new ways of treatment. Conflicts of interest: None. Sources of funding: None

Aims. The aim of this paper is to describe the impact of COVID-19 on spine surgery services in a district general hospital in England in order to understand the spinal service provisions that may be required during a pandemic. Methods. A prospective cohort study was undertaken between 17 March 2020 and 30 April 2020 and compared with retrospective data from same time period in 2019. We compared the number of patients requiring acute hospital admission or orthopaedic referrals and indications of referrals from our admission sheets and obtained operative data from our theatre software. Results. Between 17 March to 30 April 2020, there were 48 acute spine referrals as compared to 68 acute referrals during the same time period last year. In the 2019 period, 69% (47/68) of cases referred to the on-call team presented with back pain, radiculopathy or myelopathy compared to 43% (21/48) in the 2020 period. Almost 20% (14/68) of spine referrals consisted of spine trauma as compared to 35% (17/48) this year. There were no confirmed cases of cauda equine last year during this time. Overall, 150 spine cases were carried out during this time period last year, and 261 spine elective cases were cancelled since 17 March 2020. Recommendations. We recommend following steps can be helpful to deal with similar situations or new pandemics in future:. 24 hours on-call spine service during the pandemic. Clinical criteria in place to prioritize urgent spinal cases. Pre-screening spine patients before elective operating. Start of separate specialist trauma list for patients needing urgent surgeries. Conclusion. This paper highlights the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in a district general hospital of England. We demonstrate a decrease in hospital attendances of spine pathologies, despite an increase in emergency spine operations. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-6:281–286

Cervical arthroplasty is usually performed for the treatment of soft disc herniation, but not for spondylotic radiculopathy. To our knowledge, there has no study to investigate the clinical and radiological results of cervical arthroplasty for spondylotic radiculopathy. We therefore performed the current study to evaluate clinical and radiological results of cervical arthroplasty for spondylotic radiculopathy with severe narrowing of the intervertebral disc space. Eight patients, who underwent anterior decompression, overdistraction, and implantation of artificial cervical disc for primary, single-level spondylotic radiculopathy with severe narrowing of the disc space (decrease more than 50% of adjacent disc spaces) were included in this study. Four were male and 4 were female with mean age of 49.5 years. The operation level was 7 C5–6 and 1 C6–7. Five Prodisc-C and 3 Prestige LP prostheses were implanted. The clinical and radiological evaluations were performed with minimum one year follow-up (range, 12 – 19 months) after surgery. VAS of the neck and arm pain improved (79.6 vs. 19.4 points, p < 0.01; 82.5 vs. 22.7 points, p < 0.01) at last follow-up, respectively. According to Odom’s criteria, satisfactory clinical outcome was achieved in 63% (5 out of 8, 3 excellent and 2 good) while fair result was achieved in 37% of the patients (3 out of 8). The disc space (3.0mm vs. 6.4mm, p < 0.01) and range of motion (1.4 vs. 6.3 degrees, p = 0.009) at the operated level increased, respectively. Overall sagittal alignment of the cervical spine was increased after surgery (5.2 vs. 11.3 degrees, p < 0.05). In 5 patients, segmental angle of the operated level was increased (0.2 vs. 5.3 degrees, p = 0.003) after surgery with maintained facet joint articulation overlap. However, in 3 patients, segmental angle of operated level became kyphotic from neutral (0 vs. −10.0 degrees, p = 0.295) with decreased facet joint articulation overlap. In conclusions, cervical arthroplasty provided favorable clinical and radiological outcomes in most of the patients with spondylotic radiculopathy and severe narrowing of the disc space at minimum one year follow-up after surgery. However, in some of the patients, postoperative segmental kyphosis developed and clinical outcomes were not satisfactory

Introduction. Tomita En-bloc spondylectomy (TES) of L5 is one of the most challenging spinal surgical techniques. A 42-year-old female was referred with low back pain and L5 radiculopathy with background of right shoulder excision of liposarcoma. CT-PET confirmed a solitary L5 oligometastasis. MRI showed thecal sac indentation and therefore was not suitable for stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) alone. Planning Methodology. First Stage: Carbon fibre pedicle screws were planned from L2 to S2AI-Pelvis, aligned to her patient-specific rods. Custom 3D-printed navigation guides were used to overcome challenging limitations of carbon instruments. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of L5 pedicles prior to osteotomy was performed to prevent sarcoma cell seeding. Microscope-assisted thecal sac-tumour separation and L5 nerve root dissection was performed. Novel surgical navigation of the ultrasonic bone cutter assisted inferior L4 and superior S1 endplate osteotomies. Second stage: We performed a vascular-assisted retroperitoneal approach to L4-S1 with protection of the great vessels. Completion of osteotomies at L4 and S1 to en-bloc L5: (L4 inferior endplate, L4/5 disc, L5 body, L5/S1 disc and S1 superior endplate). Anterior reconstruction used an expandable PEEK cage obviating the need for a third posterior stage. Reinforced with a patient-specific carbon plate L4-S1 promontory. Sacrifice of left L5 nerve root undertaken. Results. Patient rehabilitated well and was discharged after 42 days. Patient underwent SABR two months post-operatively. Despite left foot drop, she was walking independently 9 months post-operatively. Conclusion. These challenging cases require a truly multi-disciplinary team approach. We share this technique for a dual stage TES and metal-free construct with post adjuvant SABR for maximum local control

Introduction: ACDF involves cancellation of the diseased spinal motion segment, the neighboring spinal segments take the burden of excessive compensatory spinal movements and strain resulting in early degeneration. Adjacent segment degeneration with new, symptomatic radiculopathy occurs after ACDF in 2–3% of patients per year on cumulative basis. An estimated 15% of patients ultimately require a secondary procedure at an adjacent level. An alternative to fusion is total disc arthroplasty (TDA). The key advantage of this promising technology is restoration and maintenance of normal physiological motion rather than elimination of motion. We describe 4 patients with a serious complication observed following implantation of the Bryan disc prosthesis in our cohort of 48 patients. Material and Results:. Patient #1: 43 M, with neck pain & left brachalgia, with left C6 dermatome signs, with MRI findings of C5/6 disc prolapse with left C6 root impingement, undergoing C5/6 Bryan TDA in April 2004, with treatment recommendation of C3/4 and C6/7 Bryan TDA in January 2006. Patient #2: 47 M, with worsening gait over 2 years with right brachalgia, with findings of progressive cervical myelopathy with right C5 radiculopathy, with MRI findings of severe C5/6 disc degeneration with spinal cord compression, undergoing C5/6 Bryan TDA in January 2003, with MRI FU findings after 16/12 with new left C6/7 disc prolapse and left C6 radiculopathy, with treatment recommendation of C6/7 Bryan TDA, on waiting list. Patient #3: 45 F, 6 years of neck pain with right brachialgia, with right C5 dermatome signs, with MRI findings of C5/6 central disc herniation with cord compression, undergoing C5/6 Bryan TDA in December 2000, with FU MRI showing after 5 years and 7/12 (67/12) new C6/7 canal narrowing with right C6 radiculopathy, and treatment recommendation of C6/7 Bryan TDA. Patient #4: 38 M, worsening gait over 5 years and exam findings of progressive cervical myelopathy, with MRI findings of severe C5/6 disc degeneration with spinal cord compression, undergoing C5/6 Bryan TDA in August 2003, with FU MRI showing after 3 years new C4/5 disc prolapse with C5 radiculopathy, followed by treatment recommendation of C4/5 Bryan TDA. Discussion & Conclusions: Bryan TDR did not prevent the development of accelerated ASD. Evidence from in vivo X ray studies suggested that the range of motion across the operated levels did not match the physiological ROM. Despite the MRI images preoperatively, it is difficult to exclude the natural progression of degeneration as a reason for ASD

Diagnostic indices for the determination of involved nerve root in cervical radiculopathy have been described by Yoss (1957), Murphey (1973) and Hoppenfeld (1976). However, there has been criticism that their indices are inappropriate for the diagnosis, because involved nerve root can not necessarily be determined using them. Difficulties in diagnosis have been attributed to the variable patterns of symptoms and signs caused by nerve root compression. Purpose: To develop the new diagnostic indices for determination of involved nerve root in cervical radiculopathy. Methods: Forty-five cases operated on through posterior foraminotomy were reviewed. The sites of neck pain(s) (in nape, in suprascapular, superior angle of scapula, interscapular, or scapular regions), and arm pain (anterior, lateral, posterior or medial) in anatomical position were preoperatively recorded. The finger(s) with subjective paraesthesia or objective sensory change, and the finger(s) of the most severe involvement were recorded. Affected muscle(s) (deltoid, biceps, wrist extensor, wrist flexor, triceps, finger extensor, or intrinsic), and the muscle(s) of the weakest were recorded. All of 45 cases were decompressed unilaterally at only 1 level, and showed improvements just after operation. Involved nerve roots and number of their cases were as follows: C5, 7; C6, 12; C7, 13; C8, 13. Results: Pain in the suprascapular region frequently (82%) indicated C5 or C6 radiculopathy. Interscapular or scapular pain always (100%) indicated C7 or C8 radiculopathy. Lateral, posterior, or medial arm pain frequently indicated C6, C7 or C8 radiculopathy, respectively. Involved nerve roots and number of patterns of finger paraesthesia [or sensory change] were as follows: C5, 0 [0]; C6, 4 [5]; C7, 8 [10]; C8, 4 [5]. However, when the most severe involvement was that of the thumb, the index or long finger, or the little finger, the indication was C6, C7 or C8 radiculopathy, respectively. Although patterns in affection of muscles were also variable, when the weakest muscle was deltoid, biceps or wrist extensor, wrist flexor or triceps, or intrinsic, the indication was C5, C6, C7 or C8 radiculopathy, respectively. Conclusion: The sites of the neck and arm pain are important for the diagnosis of the involved nerve root. Not the fingers with paraesthesia but the fingers with the most severe involvement lead to the diagnosis

Aims. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of changes in parameters of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. We also investigated the correlation between the severity of neurological symptoms and these parameters. . Patients and Methods. A total of 13 patients with unilateral radiculopathy due to herniation of a lumbar disc were investigated with DTI on a 1.5T MR scanner and underwent micro discectomy. There were nine men and four women, with a median age of 55.5 years (19 to 79). The changes in the mean FA and ADC values and the correlation between these changes and the severity of the neurological symptoms were investigated before and at six months after surgery. . Results. The mean FA values were significantly lower (p = 0.0005) and mean ADC values were significantly higher (p = 0.0115) in compressed nerves than in intact nerves. Although the FA values increased significantly at six months after surgical treatment (p = 0.020), the ADC values decreased but not significantly (p = 0.498). There were strong correlations between the DTI parameters such as the FA value and the severity of the neurological symptoms as assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). . Conclusion. This preliminary study suggests that it may be possible to use DTI to diagnose, quantitatively evaluate and follow-up patients with lumbar nerve entrapment. Take home message: DTI is a potential tool for functional diagnosis of lumbar nerve damage. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:387–94