Lumbar Radiculopathy
Be the first to edit this page and have your name permanently included as the original editor, see the editing pages tutorial for help.
|
Original Editor - Your name will be added here if you created the original content for this page. Lead Editors - Your name will be added here if you are a lead editor on this page. Read more. |
Clinically Relevant Anatomy
[edit | edit source]
add text here relating to clinically relevant anatomy of the condition
Mechanism of Injury / Pathological Process
[edit | edit source]
add text here relating to the mechanism of injury and/or pathology of the condition
Clinical Presentation[edit | edit source]
The clinical presentation of lumbar radiculopathy will vary depending on the cause of the radiculopathy and which nerve roots are being affected. Patients will often present with pain in the lumbar region that radiates through one or both legs. This pain is often described as burning, stabbing, or shooting. For this pain to be considered radiculopathy, however, neurological signs must be present such as weakness, numbness, or reflexive changes. The following chart may be useful in identifying radiculopathy clinically.
| Question | +LR (yes) | -LR(no) |
| Weakness? | 1.2 | .73 |
| Numbness? | 1.0 | .94 [1] |
See test diagnostics page for explanation of statistics.
Special Tests:
- Straight leg raise test (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wkt2KU6lU)
- Crossed straight leg raise test
Clinical presentation for radiculopathy from each lumbar nerve root:
| Nerve Root | Dermatomal area | Myotomal area | Reflexive changes |
| L1 | Inguinal region | ||
| L2 | Anterior mid-thigh | Hip flexors | |
| L3 | Distal anterior thigh | Hip flexors and knee extensors | |
| L4 | Medial lower leg/foot | Knee extensors and ankle dorsiflexors | Patellar reflex |
| L5 | Lateral leg/foot | Hallux extension and ankle plantar flexors | |
| S1 | Lateral side of foot | Ankle plantar flexors and evertors | Achilles reflex [1] |
- Dermatomes and myotomes aren't intended as an all-inclusive list, but rather a clinically relevant system to assist in neurological screening. See dermatomal map to the left for further clarification.
Diagnostic Procedures[edit | edit source]
add text here relating to diagnostic tests for the condition
Outcome Measures[edit | edit source]
add links to outcome measures here (see Outcome Measures Database)
Management / Interventions
[edit | edit source]
add text here relating to management approaches to the condition
Differential Diagnosis
[edit | edit source]
add text here relating to the differential diagnosis of this condition
Differential diagnoses for upper lumbar radiculopathy include spondylolesthesis or an infection (diskitis, epidural abscess).
Key Evidence[edit | edit source]
add text here relating to key evidence with regards to any of the above headings
Resources
[edit | edit source]
add appropriate resources here
Case Studies[edit | edit source]
add links to case studies here (case studies should be added on new pages using the case study template)
References[edit | edit source]
References will automatically be added here, see adding references tutorial.
