From: Classification of patients with low back-related leg pain: a systematic review
Author (first) | Terms to describe nerve root involvement | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clinical features | ||||||||||||||||
Baker 1990 [79] | Sciatica | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||
Ben Debba et al. 2000 [36] | Back and below knee pain with positive SLR | x | x | |||||||||||||
Glassman et al. 2011 [37] | Leg pain dominant; neurogenic claudication | x | x | |||||||||||||
Nachemson 1982 [80] | Sciatica; Rhizopathy | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
Spitzer et al. 1987 [25] | Pain with lower limb radiation with neurological signs; Spinal stenosis | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||||
Sweetman et al. 1992 [26] | Sciatica | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||||
Pathoanatomy | ||||||||||||||||
Bernard 1987 [41] | Herniated nucleus pulposis; Spinal stenosis | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||
Cassisi et al. 1993 [40] | Disc herniation | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
Hahne et al. 2011 [38] | Disc herniation with radiculopathy | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||
Paatelma et al. 2009 [44] | Discogenic pain with nerve root irritation; Spinal stenosis | x | x | |||||||||||||
Petersen et al. 2003 [39] | Disc syndrome:reducible/irreducible | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||
Vining et al. 2013 [46] | Radiculopathy: non/compressive; Neurogenic claudication | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
Treatment approach | ||||||||||||||||
Delitto et al. 2012 [48] | Lumbago with sciatica | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||
Hall et al. 1994 [55] | Leg dominant pain due to nerve root involvement | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
McKenzie 1981 [49] | Derangement; Adherent nerve root | x | x | |||||||||||||
Albert et al. 2012 [61] | Sciatica | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||
Screening tools/CPR | ||||||||||||||||
Fritz et al. 2007 [64] | Low back pain with signs of nerve root involvement | x | x | x | x | |||||||||||
Roach et al. 1997 [63] | Disc; Spinal stenosis | x | ||||||||||||||
Scholz et al. 2009 [62] | Radicular pain | x | x | x | ||||||||||||
Pain mechanisms | ||||||||||||||||
Smart et al. 2011 [66] | Peripheral neuropathic | x | x | x | ||||||||||||
Schafer et al. 2009 [65] | Denervation; Peripheral nerve sensitization | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
Nijs et al. 2015 [75] | Neuropathic/radicular pain | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||
Key for history and clinical examination criteria for sciatica | ||||||||||||||||
1 Pain below knee 2 Dermatomal distribution of symptoms 3 Positive cough/sneeze 4 Pins & needles/numbness: subjective reporting 5 Leg pain worse than back pain | 6 Quality descriptor of pain eg “burning” 7 Stenotic aggravating/easing factors 8 Sensory deficit in lower limb (LL) objectively 9 Strength deficit in LL objectively 10 Altered LL reflexes | 11 Positive neural tension tests 12 Positive crossed straight leg raise 13 Aggravated with specific lumbar range of movement 14 Other 15 Positive findings from imaging eg MRI |