Assessment of nerve conduction in evaluation of radiculopathy among chronic low back pain patients without clinical neurodeficit.
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Date
2010-01
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Abstract
The diagnostic evaluation of chronic low back pain (CLBP) is
difficult, as its primary causes are multiple. Clinical, radiological and
electrophysiological findings are of limited value in diagnosing radiculopathy
as the cause of CLBP in early cases. Current study was undertaken on 50
controls and 50 CLBP patients without clinical neurological deficit to evaluate
the potential of nerve conduction studies, particularly H-reflex study for
diagnosis of radiculopathy in these cases. We observed that routine nerve
conductions in CLBP without clinical neurodeficit showed no significant
differences; whereas all the H-reflex parameters, H-threshold, H latency,
H amplitude and H/M ratio were significantly different when compared
with that of control (P value <0.0001 in each case). We concluded that
subclinical cases might not have only partial conduction block but also
secondary axonal loss due to compression of nerve roots. We further
suggest inclusion of Soleus H-reflex study in evaluation of radiculopathy
among early CLBP cases without clinical neurodeficit.
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Keywords
soleus H-reflex study, radiculopathy, chronic low back pain
Citation
Ghugare Balaji, Das Piyali, Ghate Jayshri, Patond Kisan, Koranne Manisha, Singh Ramji. Assessment of nerve conduction in evaluation of radiculopathy among chronic low back pain patients without clinical neurodeficit. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2010 Jan-Mar; 54(1): 63-68.