Assessment of nerve involvement in the lumbar spine: agreement between magnetic resonance imaging, physical examination and pain drawing findings

Table 2 Prevalence of findings in the MRI, the physical examination and pain drawing in assessing the lumbar spine (n = 61)

		Magnetic resonance image																Physical examination								Pain drawing
		Visible nerve involvement		Decreased				High intensity zone		Increased medulla signal		Spinal stenosis		Disco-ligament protrution		Bone pro- tuberance		Disturbed								Indicating nerve involvement
				disc water		disc height												sensibility				reflex		motor
																		to touch		to pain		function		function
				Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade		Grade
Segment (nerve)	Location	Patients		1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2	1	2
		no	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
T 11-12 (T12)	right	0	0															7	2	10	3	2	0			0	0
	left	0	0															5	2	13	7	2	0			0	0
	bilateral	0	0															2	2	5	2	2	0			0	0
	any	0	0	11	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	2	18	8	2	0			0	0
T 12-L1 (L1)	right	0	0															10	3	26	5					0	0
	left	0	0															15	2	36	8					0	0
	bilateral	0	0															3	2	11	2					0	0
	any	0	0	8	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	21	3	51	11					0	0
L 1-2 (L2)	right	0	0															15	2	20	3			28	3	0	0
	left	0	0															16	2	31	10			31	7	3	0
	bilateral	0	0															3	0	8	0			13	0	0	0
	any	0	0	20	10	16	3	2	0	0	0	2	0	5	0	0	0	28	3	43	13			46	10	3	0
L 2-3 (L3)	right	1	2															13	0	20	3			18	2	2	0
	left	2	3															21	2	31	8			20	5	0	0
	bilateral	1	2															5	0	10	2			10	0	0	0
	any	2	3	33	10	23	5	2	0	0	0	8	0	13	0	8	7	30	2	41	10			28	7	2	0
L 3-4 (L4)	right	7	11															10	0	18	3	31	23	31	3	11	0
	left	5	8															18	2	38	8	33	21	31	7	8	0
	bilateral	4	7															5	0	10	2	28	20	15	0	7	0
	any	8	13	41	10	28	3	5	0	0	0	18	7	30	3	8	8	23	2	46	10	36	25	48	10	13	0
L 4-5 (L5)	right	11	18															20	7	25	10	46	25	34	15	52	10
	left	13	21															26	5	41	13	41	25	49	21	59	3
	bilateral	6	10															5	2	10	2	38	25	26	11	38	0
	any	18	30	79	21	49	10	10	0	0	0	23	8	49	8	13	10	41	10	56	21	49	25	57	25	74	13
L 5-S1 (S1)	right	4	7															15	5	18	7	36	23	16	2	21	3
	left	7	11															21	3	30	7	46	23	34	10	23	3
	bilateral	0	0															3	0	7	0	34	21	13	2	15	2
	any	11	18	72	39	56	33	2	0	0	0	2	0	48	18	13	10	33	8	41	13	48	25	38	10	30	5
T11-S1	any	30	49	93	52	85	44	15	0	0	0	30	11	79	28	30	21	57	18	77	39	66	31	80	38	95	16

Grade 1 includes all positive findings, grade 2 includes all positive findings grade 2 or more; T = thoracic; L = lumbar; S = sacral

ISSN: 1471-2474