DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2019.v07i05.019

Pages: 1781-1788

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred investigation for most spinal diseases. However, determining the cause of radicular pain extending into the lower limb is complicated as it is often multifactorial and anatomical abnormalities detected by MRI are common in the spine and may not necessarily translate into clinical symptoms. So in the evaluation of a patient of lumbosacral radicular pain in the lower limbs, it is essential to correlate the clinical symptoms and signs with the findings detected in the MRI to arrive at a correct diagnosis and arrange an appropriate management. So this study was done to see the correlation between clinically and Magnetic Resonance Imaging detected lumbosacral radiculopathy in patients with low back pain. It was a cross sectional descriptive study in which 30 male and 10 female patients suffering from low back pain with radiation to the lower limbs were purposively selected. 67.5% of patients were between 20 to 50 years and 60% were performing heavy work. As expected, 52.18% had L5 and 32.61% patients had S1 radiculopathy. At all the root levels from L3 to S1 MRI showed radiculopathy in more patients than radiculopathy as detected clinically. Clinically radiculopathy was detected in 55 (73.33%) patients while MRI detected radiculopathy in 75 patients (there were total 40 patients but radiculopathy both clinically and by MRI was detected in more patients as some patients had involvement in more than one root). The difference in clinical and MRI detection of root involvement was statistically significant. MRI is a very sensitive test for identifying disc lesions but it is not very specific. Findings of this study are similar to what has been reported in the literature. Correlation between Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging detected Lumbosacral Radiculopathy in Patients with Low Back Pain.