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

Table 3 Agreement between MRI-visible nerve involvement and findings of nerve involvement detected in the physical examination and pain drawing in assessing the lumbar spine (n = 61)

		MRI		Physical examination								Pain drawing
		Visible nerve involvement		Disturbed sensibility				Disturbed reflex function		Disturbed motor function		Indicating nerve involvement
				to touch		to pain
				Agreement		Agreement		Agreement		Agreement		Agreement
Segment (nerve)	Location	Patients		Overall	McN	Overall	McN	Overall	McN	Overall	McN	Overall	McN
		no	%	%	P	%	P	%	P	%	P	%	P
	Dichotomised findings irrespective of grade in the physical examination and pain drawing
L 3-4 (L4)	right	7	11	79	°	70	°	64	0.017	67	0.012	77	°
	left	5	8	74	°	54	0.001	66	0.002	64	0.004	84	°
	bilateral	4	7	89	°	84	°	69	0.004	79	°	87	°
	any	8	13	67	°	41	0.001	61	0.007	52	0	74	°
L 4-5 (L5)	right	11	18	69	°	67	°	62	0.001	61	°	49	0
	left	13	21	62	°	54	0.036	54	0.036	56	0.002	39	0
	bilateral	6	10	89	°	84	°	59	0.001	70	0.031	56	0.002
	any	18	30	43	°	41	0.011	57	0.029	46	0.005	43	0
L 5-S1 (S1)	right	4	7	82	°	79	°	64	0	80	°	79	0.023
	left	7	11	74	°	66	0.027	46	0	64	0.004	75	°
	bilateral	0	0	97	°	93	°	66	0	87	0.008	85	0.004
	any	11	18	62	°	54	0.013	44	0.003	57	0.029	72	°
T11-S1 mean of	any			69		54		65		56		83
	Dichotomised findings of grade 2 or more in the physical examination and pain drawing
L 3-4 (L4)	right	7	11	89	0.016	85	°	72	°	85	°	89	0.016
	left	5	8	90	°	84	°	74	°	85	°	92	°
	bilateral	4	7	93	°	92	°	77	°	93	°	93	°
	any	8	13	85	0.039	77	°	69	°	77	°	87	0.008
L 4-5 (L5)	right	11	18	75	°	75	°	64	°	70	°	75	°
	left	13	21	74	0.021	69	°	64	°	70	°	75	0.007
	bilateral	6	10	89	°	89	°	69	°	82	°	90	0.031
	any	18	30	61	0.023	56	°	59	°	59	°	64	°
L 5-S1 (S1)	right	4	7	92	°	90	°	74	0.021	92	°	90	°
	left	7	11	85	°	85	°	66	°	85	°	89	°
	bilateral	0	0	100	°	100	°	79	0	98	°	98	°
	any	11	18	77	°	75	°	61	°	79	°	80	0.039
T11-S1 mean of	any			87		80		72		79		90

McN = p-value for exact Mc Nemar significance probability test; T = thoracic; L = lumbar; S = sacral; ° = non significant p-value (> 0.05)

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