|  | MRI | Physical examination | Pain drawing | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Visible nerve involvement | Disturbed sensibility | Disturbed reflex function | Disturbed motor function | Indicating nerve involvement | |||||||||||||||||
 |  |  |  | to touch | to pain |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||
Segment (nerve) | Location | Patients | Se | Sp | PPV | NPV | Se | Sp | PPV | NPV | Se | Sp | PPV | NPV | Se | Sp | PPV | NPV | Se | Sp | PPV | NPV | |
 |  | no | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
 |  |  |  | Dichotomised findings irrespective of grade in the physical examination and pain drawing |  | ||||||||||||||||||
L 3-4 (L4) | right | 7 | 11 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 89 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 80 | 11 | 88 | 29 | 69 | 16 | 90 | 43 | 70 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 87 |
 | left | 5 | 8 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 59 | 10 | 93 | 40 | 68 | 5 | 90 | 20 | 68 | 0 | 91 | 0 | 91 |
 | bilateral | 4 | 7 | 0 | 93 | 0 | 95 | 0 | 93 | 0 | 89 | 6 | 93 | 25 | 72 | 0 | 92 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 93 | 0 | 93 |
 | any | 8 | 13 | 7 | 85 | 13 | 75 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 47 | 14 | 87 | 38 | 64 | 14 | 88 | 50 | 53 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 85 |
L 4-5 (L5) | right | 11 | 18 | 17 | 82 | 18 | 80 | 20 | 83 | 27 | 76 | 29 | 91 | 73 | 60 | 19 | 83 | 36 | 66 | 19 | 83 | 55 | 48 |
 | left | 13 | 21 | 19 | 78 | 23 | 73 | 20 | 78 | 38 | 58 | 20 | 78 | 38 | 58 | 27 | 84 | 62 | 54 | 17 | 72 | 46 | 38 |
 | bilateral | 6 | 10 | 33 | 91 | 17 | 96 | 17 | 91 | 17 | 91 | 9 | 89 | 33 | 62 | 13 | 91 | 33 | 75 | 4 | 87 | 17 | 60 |
 | any | 18 | 30 | 16 | 61 | 22 | 51 | 24 | 63 | 44 | 40 | 37 | 77 | 61 | 56 | 29 | 69 | 56 | 42 | 31 | 75 | 78 | 28 |
L 5-S1 (S1) | right | 4 | 7 | 11 | 94 | 25 | 86 | 9 | 94 | 25 | 82 | 9 | 95 | 50 | 65 | 10 | 94 | 25 | 84 | 15 | 96 | 50 | 81 |
 | left | 7 | 11 | 15 | 90 | 29 | 80 | 11 | 88 | 29 | 70 | 4 | 82 | 14 | 50 | 14 | 90 | 43 | 67 | 21 | 91 | 43 | 80 |
 | bilateral | 0 | 0 | †| 100 | †| 97 | †| 100 | †| 93 | †| 100 | †| 66 | †| 100 | †| 87 | †| 100 | †| 85 |
 | any | 11 | 18 | 20 | 83 | 36 | 68 | 16 | 81 | 36 | 58 | 10 | 75 | 27 | 48 | 17 | 82 | 36 | 62 | 33 | 88 | 55 | 76 |
T11-S1 mean of | any | Â | Â | 11 | 89 | 18 | 72 | 10 | 88 | 20 | 56 | 20 | 85 | 42 | 67 | 15 | 87 | 36 | 56 | 16 | 92 | 33 | 83 |