Is Abnormal Electrodiagnostic Finding Related to the Cross-Sectional Area of the Nerve Root in Cervical Radiculopathy?

Objective: To assess the relevance of electrodiagnosis (EDX) in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the nerve root of patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR) by using high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS).

Methods: The CSAs of the cervical nerve roots at C5, C6, and C7 were measured bilaterally using HRUS in 29 patients with unilateral CR whose clinical symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and EDX results corresponded with each other (CR-A group), and in 26 patients with unilateral CR whose clinical symptoms and MRI findings matched with each other but did not correspond with the EDX findings (CR-B group).

Results: The CSA of the affected side in each nerve root was significantly larger than that of the unaffected side in both the CR-A and CR-B groups.