DIAGNOSTIC-VALUE OF ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION OF LUBOSACRAL ROOTS IN RADICULOPATHIES

Needle electrical stimulation of the lumbosacral roots at the laminar level of the Th12-L1 or LI-2 intervertebral spaces were performed in 2 4 normal subjects and 58 patients with various kinds of lumbar radicul opathy (unilateral L4, L5 and S1 herniated nucleus pulposus and lumber stenosis). The root stimulation method was compared with conventional needle EMG. Lumber electrical stimulation showed root abnormalities o bjectively in 80% of patients while the diagnostic value of needle EMG was 65%. Therefore, electrical root stimulation is superior to routin e EMG for localizing lumbar root involvement. However, the only needle EMG demonstrated the root pathology in 7 cases (12%) and single elect rophysiological abnormality was found by the root stimulation in 16 ca ses (27%). Thus, both electrophysiological methods should be complemen tary to each other in evaluation of the lumbar radiculopathy.