The Role of NCS and MRI in Assessment of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Background: The role of neurophysiology in the assessment of peripheral nerve disorders is long standing well known, we need to evaluate the role of specific tests in the assessment of proximal nerve segments in comparison to a well-established diagnostic tests as MRI. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of nerve conduction study (NCS) in evaluation of patients with chronic low back pain in comparison with clinical and radiological findings. methods: A fifty patient was enrolled in this study including ten patients without root pain (group I) and forty patients with root pain (group II) and fifty healthy volunteers, including (24) males and (26) females as control (group III), matched for age and sex with patient group, both case and control groups were subjected to clinical examination, laboratory studies, NCS and lumbosacral MRI. Results: The most radiological finding in lumbosacral region at CLBP is the disc bulge and disc herniation of intervertebral discs, the tibial MUP amplitude is the most sensitive test in diagnosing local CLBP without neurological deficit, the motor nerve conduction study of tibial and peroneal nerves are more important in diagnosing the CLBP with neurodefecit at lower limbs. Conclusion: MRI with motor and sensory NCS increases the sensitivity of diagnosing radiculopathy in CLBP to 82%.