Proximal motor conduction studies in lumbosacral root compression

ABSTRACT

F-wave conduction study was performed to determine the proximal slowing of motor conduction in the lower extremities in 23 patients with lumbosacral root compression syndrome to intervertebral disc prolapse. The pooled data revealed that the values of F-wave characteristics like F-latency [FL], F-conduction time [FCT], F-conduction velocity [FCV] and F-ratio [FR] were significantly abnormal in patients in comparison to the values obtained from 18 control subjects [P 0.005]. FCT and FCV in individual cases were abnormal [15.8 m/sec and 44.8 m/sec respectively] in 19 patients. The usefulness of F-wave conduction study in the assessment of patients with backache is emphasized