The Relation between Radiologic and Electromyographic Findings in Patients with Low Back Pain

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relations of spinal measurements on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), myelography and electromyography (EMG) in patients with low back pain. METHOD: We investigated forty four patients who were underwent both imaging and electrodiagnostic evaluation. Spinal geometric measurements in axial MRI included anteroposterior (AP) diameters of canal and thecal sac, interlaminar distance, width of lateral recess, thickness of ligamentum flavum, and the findings of a root deviation. This study investigated 1) correlation of MRI disc herniation types with EMG and myelogram findings, 2) correlation of EMG findings with axial MRI spinal measurements and myelogram findings, 3) correlation of myelogram with axial MRI spinal measurements. RESULTS: The MRI disc herniation types did not relate to EMG and myelogram findings. Findings of the root compression on myelogram related to the width of lateral recess and thecal sac AP diameter only (p<0.05). There were nonparametric correlations between myelogram findings and the findings of root deviation on MRI (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There were little correlations between EMG findings and other imaging studies. In addition, we suggest not only the disc herniation type, but also the width of lateral recess and thecal sac AP diameter is helpful in interpreting the axial spinal MRI.