Ann Rehabil Med.  2021 Apr;45(2):116-122. 10.5535/arm.20172.

Is Abnormal Electrodiagnostic Finding Related to the Cross-Sectional Area of the Nerve Root in Cervical Radiculopathy?

• Jeoung J
• Choi HS
• Woo SR
• Kang S
• Yoon JS

• KMID: 2515392
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.20172

Abstract

Objective
To assess the relevance of electrodiagnosis (EDX) in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the nerve root of patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR) by using high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS).
Methods
The CSAs of the cervical nerve roots at C5, C6, and C7 were measured bilaterally using HRUS in 29 patients with unilateral CR whose clinical symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and EDX
results
corresponded with each other (CR-A group), and in 26 patients with unilateral CR whose clinical symptoms and MRI findings matched with each other but did not correspond with the EDX findings (CR-B group). Results The CSA of the affected side in each nerve root was significantly larger than that of the unaffected side in both the CR-A and CR-B groups. The side-to-side difference in the bilateral CSAs of the nerve root and the ratio of the CSAs between the unaffected and affected sides were statistically larger in the CR-A group than in the CR-B group.
Conclusion
The increased CSAs in the CR-A group reflect the physiological changes of the cervical nerve root, which is supported by the EDX findings.

Keyword

Radiculopathy, Electrodiagnosis, Magnetic resonance imaging, Spinal nerve roots, Ultrasonography

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Transverse ultrasonographic images of the cervical nerve root. (A, C, E) Unaffected side of the C5, C6, and C7 nerve roots, respectively. (B, D, F) Affected side of the C5, C6, and C7 nerve roots, respectively. Ant., anterior; Post., posterior; TP, transverse process; *, anterior tubercle; **, posterior tubercle; dotted circle, nerve root; dotted line, shape of the tubercles of the cervical spine.

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