Induced lumbosacral radicular symptom referral patterns: a descriptive study. 2019

Michael B Furman, and Stephen C Johnson
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, OSS Health, 1855 Powder Mill Rd, York, PA 17402, USA. Electronic address: mbfurman@gmail.com.

Lumbosacral radicular symptoms are commonly evaluated in clinical practice. Level-specific diagnosis is crucial for management. Clinical decisions are often made by correlating a patient's symptom distribution and imaging with sensory dermatomal maps. It is common for patients to describe non-dermatomal symptom patterns and for imaging to demonstrate pathology at levels not predicted by a dermatomal map. These observations suggest that the referred symptom distribution from lumbosacral nerve root provocation is different from dermatomal maps. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in the cervical spine but not in the lumbosacral spine. The objective of this study was to characterize potential lumbosacral radicular symptom referral patterns induced during transforaminal epidural injections. This is an observational descriptive study. The patient sample included 71 consecutive patients with lumbosacral radicular pain undergoing lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections at an outpatient interventional spine practice. Each subject drew the location of provoked lumbosacral radicular symptoms on a pain diagram. Seventy-one consecutive patients undergoing 125 fluoroscopically guided lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections at an outpatient interventional spine practice were included in the study. The described location of provoked symptoms was recorded (1) after final needle positioning, (2) after injection of up to 0.5 mL of contrast solution, and (3) after injection of up to a 1 mL test dose of 1% lidocaine. Each subject drew the location of provoked symptoms on a diagram. The provoked symptom diagrams for each lumbosacral segmental level were combined to create composite nerve root, level-specific, symptom referral pattern maps. Of the 125 injections, 87 provoked referred symptoms and were included in the analysis. Thirty-eight injections did not provoke referred pain symptoms and were excluded from further analysis. Four nerve roots were tested at L1 and eight were tested at L2. Because of the small number of subjects, composite diagrams and statistical analysis were not completed for these levels. Eleven nerve roots were analyzed at L3, 28 at L4, 34 at L5, and 11 at S1. Composite symptom referral pattern maps were created for levels L3, L4, L5, and S1. Although the symptom distribution occasionally followed the expected dermatomal maps, most often the referral was outside of the patterns expected for each level. The most common symptom referral pattern for levels L3-S1 was the buttock, the posterior thigh, and the posterior calf. The level-specific provoked symptom distribution during lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections is frequently different from that predicted by classic lumbosacral dermatomal maps. Referred pain to the buttock, the posterior thigh, or the posterior calf may come from L3, L4, L5, or S1 nerve root segmental irritation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007268 Injections, Epidural The injection of drugs, most often analgesics, into the spinal canal without puncturing the dura mater. Epidural Injections,Extradural Injections,Peridural Injections,Injections, Extradural,Injections, Peridural,Epidural Injection,Extradural Injection,Injection, Epidural,Injection, Extradural,Injection, Peridural,Peridural Injection
D008012 Lidocaine A local anesthetic and cardiac depressant used as an antiarrhythmia agent. Its actions are more intense and its effects more prolonged than those of PROCAINE but its duration of action is shorter than that of BUPIVACAINE or PRILOCAINE. Lignocaine,2-(Diethylamino)-N-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)Acetamide,2-2EtN-2MePhAcN,Dalcaine,Lidocaine Carbonate,Lidocaine Carbonate (2:1),Lidocaine Hydrocarbonate,Lidocaine Hydrochloride,Lidocaine Monoacetate,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride, Monohydrate,Lidocaine Sulfate (1:1),Octocaine,Xylesthesin,Xylocaine,Xylocitin,Xyloneural
D008161 Lumbosacral Region Region of the back including the LUMBAR VERTEBRAE, SACRUM, and nearby structures. Lumbar Region,Lumbar Regions,Lumbosacral Regions,Region, Lumbar,Region, Lumbosacral,Regions, Lumbar,Regions, Lumbosacral
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011843 Radiculopathy Disease involving a spinal nerve root (see SPINAL NERVE ROOTS) which may result from compression related to INTERVERTEBRAL DISK DISPLACEMENT; SPINAL CORD INJURIES; SPINAL DISEASES; and other conditions. Clinical manifestations include radicular pain, weakness, and sensory loss referable to structures innervated by the involved nerve root. Nerve Root Avulsion,Nerve Root Compression,Nerve Root Disorder,Radiculitis,Nerve Root Inflammation,Radiculopathy, Cervical,Avulsion, Nerve Root,Avulsions, Nerve Root,Cervical Radiculopathies,Cervical Radiculopathy,Compression, Nerve Root,Compressions, Nerve Root,Inflammation, Nerve Root,Nerve Root Avulsions,Nerve Root Compressions,Nerve Root Disorders,Nerve Root Inflammations,Radiculitides,Radiculopathies,Radiculopathies, Cervical
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000779 Anesthetics, Local Drugs that block nerve conduction when applied locally to nerve tissue in appropriate concentrations. They act on any part of the nervous system and on every type of nerve fiber. In contact with a nerve trunk, these anesthetics can cause both sensory and motor paralysis in the innervated area. Their action is completely reversible. (From Gilman AG, et. al., Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed) Nearly all local anesthetics act by reducing the tendency of voltage-dependent sodium channels to activate. Anesthetics, Conduction-Blocking,Conduction-Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetic,Anesthetics, Topical,Anesthetic, Local,Anesthetics, Conduction Blocking,Conduction Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetics,Topical Anesthetics

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