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Table 4 Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of MRI-visible nerve involvement to findings of nerve involvement detected in the physical examination and pain drawing in assessing the lumbar spine (n = 61)

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

  

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

  

11

89

18

72

10

88

20

56

20

85

42

67

15

87

36

56

16

92

33

83

  1. Se = sensitivity; Sp = specificity; PPV/NPV = positive/negative predictive value; T = thoracic; L = lumbar; S = sacral; † = no finding in the physical examination/pain drawing