Electromyography in the evaluation of cervical and lumbosacral radiculopathy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2317-0190.v17i4a103392Keywords:
Radiculopathy, Electromyography, Intervertebral Disk Displacement, Low Back PainAbstract
Electromyography (EMG) has been employed as a complementary method in the diagnosis of radiculopathy since 1950, contributing important information for diagnostic clarification, treatment planning and patient follow-up. This evidence based review sought references with emphasis on the recommendation, sensibility, specificity, reproducibility and limitations of the use of this test in the evaluation of cervical and lumbosacral radiculopathy. The references point to EMG as being an extremely useful test both in the screening and in the differential diagnosis in the suspicion of cervical or lumbosacral radiculopathy, as well as in the evaluation of the degree and extent of the injury, when the limitations of the technique are considered.
Downloads
References
Bednarik J, Kadanka Z, Dusek L, Kerkovsky M, Vohanka S, Novotny O, et al. Presymptomatic spondylotic cervical myelopathy: an updated predictive model. Eur Spine J. 2008;17(3):421-31.
Robinson LR. Electromyography, magnetic resonance imaging, and radiculopathy: it's time to focus on specificity. Muscle Nerve.1999;22(2):149-50.
Jadad AR, Moore A, Carroll D, Jenkinson C, Reynolds JM, Gavaghan DJ, McQuay HJ. Assessing the quality of reports of randomized clinical trials: is blinding necessary? Controlled Clin Trials. 1996:17:1-12.
Oxford Centre For Evidence Based Medicine [Homepage on the Internet]. Oxford: Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine; c2010 [cited 2010 nov 20]. Available from: http://www.cebm.net/index.aspx?o=1025
Levin K. Electrodiagnostic approach to the patient with suspected radiculopathy. Neurol Clin North Am. 2002;20(2):397-421.
Lauder T. Physical examination signs, clinical symptoms, and their relationship to electrodiagnostic findings and the presence of radiculopathy. Phys Med Rehabil Clin North Am. 2002;13(3):451-67.
Yaar I. The logical choice of muscles for needle-electromyography evaluation of cervical radiculopathy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2005;86(3):521-6.
Dillingham TR, Dasher, KJ. The lumbosacral electromyographic screen: revisiting a classic paper. Clin Neurophysiol. 2000;111(12):2219-22.
Willbourn AJ, Aminoff MJ. AAEM minimonograph 32: the electrodiagnostic examination in patients with radiculopaties. Muscle Nerve. 1998;21(12):1612-31.
Dillingham TR, Lauder TD, Andary M, Kumar S, Pezzin LE, Stephens RT, Shannon S. Identification of cervical radiculopathies optimizing the electromyographic screen. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;80(2):84-91.
Toyokura M, Furukawa T. F wave duration in mild S1 radiculopathy: comparison between the affected and unaffected sides. Clin Neurophysiol. 2002;113(8):1231-5.
Kendall R, Werner RA. Interrater reliability of the needle examination in lumbosacral radiculopathy. Muscle Nerve. 2006;34(2):238-41.
Young A, Getty J, Jackson A, Kirwan E, Sullivan M, Parry CW. Variations in the pattern of muscle innervation by the L5 and S1 nerve roots. Spine. 1983;8(6)616-24.
Date E, Kim BJ, Yoon JS, Park BK. Cervical paraspinal spontaneous activity in asymptomatic subjects. Muscle Nerve. 2006;34(3):361-4.
Pezzin LE, Dillingham TR, Lauder TD, Andary M, Kumar S, Stephens RR, Shannon S. Cervical Radiculopathies: relationship between symptom duration and spontaneus EMG activity. Muscle Nerve. 1999;22(10):1412-8.
Miller TA, Pardo R, Yaworski R. Clinical utility of reflex studies in assessing cervical radiculopathy. Muscle Nerve. 1999;22(8):1075-9.
Knutsson B. Comparative value of electromyographic, myelographic and clinical-neurological examinations in diagnosis of lumbar root compression syndrome. Acta Orthop Scand Suppl. 1961;49:1-23.
Linden D, Berlit P. Comparison of late responses, EMG studies, and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in acute lumbosacral radiculopathies. Muscle Nerve. 1995;18(10):1205-7.
Corredor FO, Buenaventura FM, Cuellar M, Correa AR, Mullet WR. Lumbar and sacral radicular nerve pathology in patients with lower back pain seen on official grounds vs private practice. Rev Fac Med Bogotá. 2003;51(2):72-9.
Marin R, Dillingham TR, Chang A, Belandres PV. Extensor digitorum brevis reflex in normals and patients with radiculophaties. Muscle Nerve. 1995;18(1):52-9.
Dumitru D, Diaz CAJ, King JC. Prevalence of denervation in paraspinal and foot intrinsic musculature. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;80(7):482-90.
Ashkan K, Johnston P, Moore AJ. A comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and neurophysiological studies in the assessment of cervical radiculopathy. Br J Neurosurg. 2002;16(2):146-8.
Weber F, Albert, U. Electrodiagnostic examination of lumbosacral radiculopathies. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 2000;40(4):231-6.
Nardin RA, Patel MR, Gudas TF, Rutkove SB, Raynor EM. Electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of radiculopathy. Muscle Nerve. 1999;22(2):151-5.
Kuruoglu R, Oh SJ, Thompson B. Clinical and electromyographic correlations of lumbossacral radiculopathy. Muscle Nerve. 1994;17(2):250-1.
Katri BO, Baruah J, McQillen MP. Correlation of electromyography with computed tomography in evaluation of lower back pain. Arch Neurol. 1984;41(6):594-97.
Tonzola RF, Ackil AA, Shahani BT, Young RR. Usefulness of electrophysiological studies in the diagnosis of lumbossacral root disease. Ann Neurol. 1981;9(3):305-8.
Schoedinger GR. Correlation of standard diagnostic studies with surgically proven lumbar disk rupture. South Med J. 1987;80(1):44-6.
Hall S, Bartleson JD, Onofrio BM, Baker HL Jr, Okazaki H, O'Duffy JD. Lumbar estenosis. Clinical features, diagnostic procedures and results of surgical treatment in 68 patients. Ann Intern Med. 1985;103(2):271-5.
Johnsson KE, Rosen I, Uden A. Neurophysiologic investigation of patients with spinal stenosis. Spine. 1987;12(5):483-7.
Berger AR, Busis NA, Logigian EL, Wierzbicka M, Shahani BT. Cervical root stimulation in the diagnosis of radiculopathy. Neurology. 1987;37(2):329-32.
Partanen J, Partanen K, Oikarinen H, Niemitukia L, Hernesniemi J. Preoperative electroneuromyography and myelography in cervical root compression. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1991;31(1):21-6.
Leblhuber F, Reisecker F, Boehm-Jurkovic H, Witzmann A, Deisenhammer E. Diagnostic value of different electrophysiologic tests in cervical disk prolapse. Neurology. 1988;38(12);1879-81.
So YT, Olney RK, Aminoff MJ. A comparison of thermography and electromyography in the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. Muscle Nerve. 1990;13(11):1032-1036.
Yiannikas C, Shahani BT, Young RR. Short-latency somatosensory-evoked potencials from radial, median, ulnar, and peroneal nerve stimulation in the assessment of cervical spondylosis. Arch Neurol. 1986;43(12):1264-71.
Tackmann W, Radu EW. Observations of the application of electrophysiological methods in the diagnosis of cervical root compressions. Eur Neurol. 1983;22(6):397-404.
Hong CZ, Lee S, Lum P. Cervical radiculopathy. Clinical, radiographic and EMG findings. Orthop Rev. 1986;15(7);433-9.
Date ES, Mar EY, Bugola MR, Teraoka JK. The prevalence of lumbar paraspinal spontaneous activity in assymptomatic subjects. Muscle Nerve. 1996;19(3):350-4.
Dillingham TR, Lauder TD, Andary M, Kumar S, Pezzin LE, Stephens RT, Shannon S. Identifying lumbosacral radiculopathies: an optimal electromyographic screen. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2000;79(6):496-503.
Bednarik J, Kadanka Z, Dusek L, Novotny O, Surelova D, Urbanek I, et al. Presymptomatic Spondylotic Cervical Cord Compression. Spine. 2004;29(20):2260-9.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2010 Acta Fisiátrica
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.