Symptom duration and spontaneous activity in lumbosacral radiculopathy. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2000;79(2):124-32
Date
04/01/2000Pubmed ID
10744185DOI
10.1097/00002060-200003000-00003Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0034115140 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 21 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVES: A long-held notion in the electrodiagnostic literature is that paraspinal muscles tend to show spontaneous activity (fibrillations and positive sharp waves) on needle electromyography, early on in a lumbosacral radiculopathy, and that more distal muscles become abnormal later in the disease process. The purpose of this study was to determine whether paraspinal muscle and other major proximal and distal muscle spontaneous activity is related to a lumbosacral radiculopathy symptom duration.
METHODS: A multicenter, prospective study that collected standard information on history, physical examination, and electrodiagnostic findings in patients with electrodiagnostically confirmed lumbosacral radiculopathies was undertaken.
RESULTS: Multivariate probit analyses of 96 patients identified with a lumbosacral radiculopathy showed no evidence of correlation between spontaneous activity in the paraspinal muscles and symptom duration. Symptom duration was also nonsignificant in nine of the remaining ten lower limb muscles analyzed.
CONCLUSION: These findings emphasize the limitations of using symptom duration when interpreting electrodiagnostic findings in lumbosacral radiculopathy.
Author List
Dillingham TR, Pezzin LE, Lauder TD, Andary M, Kumar S, Stephens RT, Shannon SAuthor
Liliana Pezzin PhD, JD Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Action PotentialsAdult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Child
Disease Progression
Electromyography
Female
Humans
Likelihood Functions
Lumbosacral Region
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Muscle, Skeletal
Prospective Studies
Radiculopathy