title: Lack of uniform diagnostic criteria for cervical radiculopathy in conservative intervention studies: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a common diagnosis. It is unclear if intervention studies use uniform definitions and criteria for patient selection. Our objective was to assess the uniformity of diagnostic criteria and definitions used in intervention studies to select patients with CR.
  
  
  METHODS
  We electronically searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Studies were included when evaluating conservative interventions in randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in patients with CR. Selection criteria and definitions for patients with CR were extracted and evaluated on their uniformity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen RCTs were included. Pain was used as an inclusion criterion in 11 studies. Inclusion based on the duration and location of pain varied between studies. Five studies used sensory symptoms in the arm as inclusion criterion. Four studies used cervical range of motion and motor disturbances as inclusion criteria, while reflex changes were used in two studies. Three studies included patients with a positive Spurling's test and two studies used it within a cluster of provocation tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Criteria used to select patients with CR vary widely between different intervention studies. Selection criteria and test methods used are poorly described. There is consensus on the presence of pain, but not on the exact location of pain.
authors.affiliation: Research Group Diagnostics, University of Applied Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands. erikthoomes@gmail.com
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Thoomes
authors.forename: Gwendolijne G M
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Scholten-Peeters
authors.forename: Alice J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Remy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Olsthoorn
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verkerk
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Arianne P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Verhagen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic