Frequencies of different peripheral nervous system pathologies among Cases of Lumbar Radicular Pain using Electrodiagnostic Studies

Objective: to discover the spectrum of diagnoses on nerve conduction studies/ Electromyography in patients with lumbar radicular pain, test preponderance of the commonest pathology and correlate commonest pathology with age > 50 years, gender and unilateral involvement. Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 539 patients. Place and Duration of the study: the department of Electrodiagnostic studies, Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rawalpindi from January 2012 to December 2012. Material and methods: using non-probability consecutive sampling 539 patients referred with complaints of lumbar radicular pain were subjected to electrodiagnostic evaluation for presence of lumbosacral radiculopathy, polyneuropathy, sciatic nerve injury or a combination of these. The preponderance of commonest pathology was tested statistically. The frequencies were then related statistically to age > 50 years, gender and unilateral or bilateral involvement. Result: A total of 539 patients (age:18-85 years) were registered. 355 (66% ) were males and 261 (48.4%) patients were > 50 years. Nerve conduction studies/Electromyography findings were abnormal in 386 (77.6%) patients. The commonest diagnosis was lumbosacral radiculopathy in 65% followed by polyneuropathy with superimposed lumbosacral radiculopathy in 7%. The preponderance of lumbosacral radiculopathy was statistically found significant (p<0.05) and it was common in individuals >50 years. Conclusion: Lumbosacral radiculopathy is highly expected to be found on nerve conduction studies /electromyography in patients who present with lumbar radicular pain. The lumbosacral radiculopathy is more common in individuals of age 50 years and above. (author)