TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiology of cervical radiculopathy
T2 - A population-based study from rochester, minnesota, 1976 through 1990
AU - Radhakrishnan, Kurupath
AU - Litchy, William J.
AU - O'fallon, W. Michael
AU - Kurland, Leonard T.
N1 - Funding Information:
We wish to thank James R. Wentz for data collection, Jeffrey T. Eickholt for computer programming and statistical analysis and Laura B. Long for secretarial and editorial assistance. This research was supported in part by research grants NS17750 and AR30582 from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
PY - 1994/4
Y1 - 1994/4
N2 - Summary: An epidemiological survey of cervical radiculopathy in Rochester, Minnesota, 1976-90, through the records-linkage system of the Mayo Clinic ascertained 561 patients (332 males and 229 females). Ages ranged from 13 to 91 years; the mean age ±SD was 47.6±13.1 years for males and 48.2±13.8 years for females. A history of physical exertion or trauma preceding the onset of symptoms occurred in only 14.8% of cases. A past history of lumbar radiculopathy was present in 41%. The median duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 15 days. A monoradiculopathy involving C7 nerve root was the most frequent, followed by C6. A confirmed disc protrusion was responsible for cervical radiculopathy in 21.9% of patients; 68.4% were related to spondylosis, disc or both. During the median duration of follow-up of 4.9 years, recurrence of the condition occurred in 31.7%, and 26% underwent surgery for cervical radiculopathy. A combination of radicular pain and sensory deficit, and objective muscle weakness were predictors of a decision to operate. At last follow-up 90% of our population-based patients were asymptomatic or only mildly incapacitated due to cervical radiculopathy. The average annual age-adjusted incidence rates per 100 000 population for cervical radiculopathy in Rochester were 83.2 for the total, 107.3 for males and 63.5 for females. The age-specific annual incidence rate per 100 000 population reached a peak of 202.9 for the age group 50-54 years.
AB - Summary: An epidemiological survey of cervical radiculopathy in Rochester, Minnesota, 1976-90, through the records-linkage system of the Mayo Clinic ascertained 561 patients (332 males and 229 females). Ages ranged from 13 to 91 years; the mean age ±SD was 47.6±13.1 years for males and 48.2±13.8 years for females. A history of physical exertion or trauma preceding the onset of symptoms occurred in only 14.8% of cases. A past history of lumbar radiculopathy was present in 41%. The median duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 15 days. A monoradiculopathy involving C7 nerve root was the most frequent, followed by C6. A confirmed disc protrusion was responsible for cervical radiculopathy in 21.9% of patients; 68.4% were related to spondylosis, disc or both. During the median duration of follow-up of 4.9 years, recurrence of the condition occurred in 31.7%, and 26% underwent surgery for cervical radiculopathy. A combination of radicular pain and sensory deficit, and objective muscle weakness were predictors of a decision to operate. At last follow-up 90% of our population-based patients were asymptomatic or only mildly incapacitated due to cervical radiculopathy. The average annual age-adjusted incidence rates per 100 000 population for cervical radiculopathy in Rochester were 83.2 for the total, 107.3 for males and 63.5 for females. The age-specific annual incidence rate per 100 000 population reached a peak of 202.9 for the age group 50-54 years.
KW - Cervical
KW - Disc prolapse
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Radiculopathy
KW - Spondylosis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028319282&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028319282&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/brain/117.2.325
DO - 10.1093/brain/117.2.325
M3 - Article
C2 - 8186959
AN - SCOPUS:0028319282
SN - 0006-8950
VL - 117
SP - 325
EP - 335
JO - Brain
JF - Brain
IS - 2
ER -