COMPARISON OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY / NERVE CONDUCTION STUDIES AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN DIAGNOSIS OF LUMBOSACRAL

Abstract

Objective: To compare EMG/NCS with MRI in diagnosis of lumbosacral radiculopathy.
Study Design: Cross-sectional comparative.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, for a period of six months, from January 2007 to June 2007.
Patients and Methods: Fifty consenting patients with clinical lumbosacral radiculopathy were included, they underwent MRI and NCS/EMG, and then both procedures were compared for diagnosis of radiculopathy.
Results: MRI and NCS/EMG had comparable sensitivity but MRI was less accurately correlated with clinical estimated level of radiculopathy.
Conclusion: Both NCS/EMG and MRI are time sensitive investigations which provide different information regarding the pathology. NCS/EMG reveal physiological etiology of radiculopathy, compared to MRI, which gives the anatomical information. Every patient with clinical lumbosacral radiculopathy should undergo NCS/EMG for confirmation of diagnosis. However, when anatomical lesion is suspected, or surgical intervention is planned, MRI should complement it.