Frequency of radiculopathies in motor vehicle accidents.
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.
Braddom
Randall L
RL
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA. rlbraddom@comcast.net
Spitz
Lawrence
L
Rivner
Michael H
MH
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000453:epidemiology*