ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHY FINDINGS OF PATIENTS WITH RADICULOPATHY (CERVICALLUMBOSACRAL) REFERRED TO ELECTROMYOGRAPHY DIAGNOSTIC CLINIC OF URMIA IMAM KHOMEINI

Background: Radiculopathy is one of the most common reasons that patients are referred to the
EMG clinic for evaluation of radiculopathy. Despite the use of MRI in the diagnosis of patients,
EMG plays an important role in the diagnosis of these patients. EMG is used for diagnosis of
radiculopathy and in localizing the root and its intensity of problem and provides important
information about the differences between results of two methods. The aim of this study was to
evaluate the assessment of difference between magnetic resonance imaging and electromyography
findings of patients with radiculopathy.
Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted on 70 patients with a primary diagnosis of pain in the
lumbar and cervical regions of radiculopathy that referred to the EMG clinic. Results of the
electromyography and MRI were compared to determine the sensitivity and specificity, and positive
and negative predictive values.
Results: Of 70 patients referred to the EMG clinic, there were 40 men and 30 women. The mean
(SD) age of the patients was 34.42 ± 14.62 years. The most common levels of root involvement in
the lumbar and neck were the LS- S1 and C5-C6. EMG of cervical and lumbosacral regions had
83.1% specificity rate and 90% sensitivity and positive predictive value of 73.72% and 97.06%,
respectively, 84.1% and 40.2% respectively, and the negative predictive value was 39.13%.
Conclusion: The overall degree of correspondence between the two methods was 73%. The use of
two methods may have increase the diagnostic accuracy and the two methods are complementary.