Table 9 Terms and clinical criteria used to describe nerve root involvement among the classification systems

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

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