Author(s): Manoj Malik and Varun Singh

Abstract:
Background: Lower back pain is a recurrent health ailment affecting peoples across the globe. Lumbar prolapsed intervertebral disc (PIVD) is one of leading source of lower back discomfort. Purpose: To establish the correlation among clinical observations and MRI impressions in lumbar PIVD. Methods: Total 88 patients were included in study as per selection criteria. MRI findings analyzed were level of disc prolapse, thecal sac compression/identation, exiting nerve root compression/identation and traversing nerve root compression/identation. Clinical observations were assessed by evaluating pain, motor weakness, sensory loss, deep tendon reflexes. Clinical findings were correlated with MRI findings. Results: Moderate correlation was found between clinical findings and disc herniation finding in MRI imaging, with k value ranging between 0.40 to 0.60 with p =0.0001. A very good correlation was found between clinical findings and thecal sac compression/identation, at L3-L4 levels with k =0.805, p =0.0001, at L4-L5 levels with k =0.80, p =0.0001 and L5-S1 levels with k =0.803, p =0.0001. A good to very good correlation was found between clinical findings and exiting nerve root compression/identation with k value between 0.60 to 1.0, p =0.0001. Analysis shows a fair correlation between clinical finding and “traversing nerve root compression/identation” at L3-L4 with k value from 0.20 to 0.40 with p =0.0001. Conclusion: MRI finding reveals multiple levels involved, while during clinical examination some of them were asymptomatic. So, it can be inferred that clinical practitioner should focused to correlate clinical findings with radiological findings for confirmatory diagnosis and more accurate treatment plan.

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