Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 205 patients with recent onset cervical radiculopathy. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristics | Collar (n=69) | Physiotherapy (n=70) | Controls (n=66) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 47.0 (9.1) | 46.7 (10.9) | 47.7 (10.6) |
| Male sex | 38 (55) | 34 (49) | 32 (48) |
| Mean (SD) body mass index (kg/m2) | 26.5 (4.8) | 26.2 (4.4) | 26.8 (4.8) |
| Mean (SD) duration of arm pain (weeks) | 2.8 (1.4) | 2.8 (1.4) | 3.0 (1.5) |
| Mean (SD) duration of neck pain (weeks) | 3.3 (2.3) | 3.0 (2.1) | 3.2 (2.0) |
| Mean (SD) VAS on arm pain (mm)* | 68.2 (19.6) | 72.1 (19.2) | 70.8 (21.2) |
| Mean (SD) VAS on neck pain (mm)* | 57.4 (27.5) | 61.7 (27.6) | 55.6 (31.0) |
| Mean (SD) neck disability index† | 41.0 (17.6) | 45.1 (17.4) | 39.8 (18.4) |
| Smoking | 30 (43) | 32 (46) | 32 (48) |
| Pain in right arm | 35 (51) | 30 (43) | 21 (32) |
| Sensory disturbances | 60 (87) | 63 (90) | 64 (97) |
| Hyporeflexia biceps reflex | 12 (17) | 13 (19) | 16 (24) |
| Hyporeflexia radial reflex | 8 (12) | 6 (9) | 6 (9) |
| Hyporeflexia triceps reflex | 16 (23) | 24 (34) | 16 (24) |
| Muscle weakness—m biceps‡ | 9 (13) | 5 (7) | 6 (9) |
| Muscle weakness—m triceps‡ | 7 (10) | 12 (17) | 6 (9) |
| Muscle weakness—m brachialis‡ | 8 (12) | 8 (11) | 8 (12) |
| Muscle weakness—m extensor digitorum communis‡ | 11 (16) | 9 (13) | 9 (14) |
| Muscle weakness—m deltoideus‡ | 1 (1) | 2 (3) | 3 (5) |
| Muscle weakness—m flexor digitorum‡ | 8 (12) | 6 (9) | 4 (6) |
| Muscle weakness—m abductor digiti minimi*‡ | 5 (7) | 9 (13) | 4 (6) |
| Sick leave (partial or complete)§ | 29 (42) | 31 (44) | 26 (39) |
| Root compression on MRI¶ | 48/61 (79) | 50/61 (82) | 40/54 (74) |
MRI=magnetic resonance imaging; VAS=visual analogue scale.
*100 mm scale (0=no pain; 100=worst pain ever).
†100 point scale specific for neck pain, with 10 items on functional status (higher scores represent worse functional status).
‡As observed on standardised physical examination (MRC<5).
§Measured on three point scale (no sick leave, partial sick leave, fulltime sick leave).
¶According to original MRI report by radiologist.