Citation

Braddom RL, Spitz L, Rivner MH. Muscle Nerve 2009; 39(4): 545-547.

Affiliation

Clinical Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/mus.21276

PMID

19260059

Abstract

This retrospective study compared the frequency of electrodiagnostically confirmed cervical and lumbar radiculopathies in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) population to that of a non-MVA population in 24,651 consecutive initial electrodiagnostic reports. The frequency of cervical radiculopathy was slightly but significantly increased in 8% of the MVA compared to 6% of the non-MVA patients. The frequency of plexopathy was significantly increased in the MVA (3%) compared to the non-MVA patients (2%). The frequency of lumbar radiculopathy was not significantly increased (12% for both groups). Nineteen percent of the MVA patients and 18% of the non-MVA patients had cervical and/or lumbar radiculopathy. This shows that the frequency of cervical and lumbar radiculopathies is low after MVAs. MVA appears to cause a small but significant increase in the frequency of cervical radiculopathy and plexopathy.

Language: en