Table 4.

Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of MRI-visible nerve involvement to findings of nerve involvement detected in the physical examination and pain drawing in assessing the lumbar spine (n = 61)

		MRI		Physical examination																Pain drawing
		Visible nerve involvement		Disturbed sensibility								Disturbed reflex function				Disturbed motor function				Indicating nerve involvement
				to touch				to pain
Segment (nerve)	Location	Patients		Se	Sp	PPV	NPV	Se	Sp	PPV	NPV	Se	Sp	PPV	NPV	Se	Sp	PPV	NPV	Se	Sp	PPV	NPV
		no	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
				Dichotomised findings irrespective of grade in the physical examination and pain drawing
L 3-4 (L4)	right	7	11	0	87	0	89	0	86	0	80	11	88	29	69	16	90	43	70	0	87	0	87
	left	5	8	0	90	0	80	0	87	0	59	10	93	40	68	5	90	20	68	0	91	0	91
	bilateral	4	7	0	93	0	95	0	93	0	89	6	93	25	72	0	92	0	84	0	93	0	93
	any	8	13	7	85	13	75	0	76	0	47	14	87	38	64	14	88	50	53	0	85	0	85
L 4-5 (L5)	right	11	18	17	82	18	80	20	83	27	76	29	91	73	60	19	83	36	66	19	83	55	48
	left	13	21	19	78	23	73	20	78	38	58	20	78	38	58	27	84	62	54	17	72	46	38
	bilateral	6	10	33	91	17	96	17	91	17	91	9	89	33	62	13	91	33	75	4	87	17	60
	any	18	30	16	61	22	51	24	63	44	40	37	77	61	56	29	69	56	42	31	75	78	28
L 5-S1 (S1)	right	4	7	11	94	25	86	9	94	25	82	9	95	50	65	10	94	25	84	15	96	50	81
	left	7	11	15	90	29	80	11	88	29	70	4	82	14	50	14	90	43	67	21	91	43	80
	bilateral	0	0	†	100	†	97	†	100	†	93	†	100	†	66	†	100	†	87	†	100	†	85
	any	11	18	20	83	36	68	16	81	36	58	10	75	27	48	17	82	36	62	33	88	55	76
T11-S1 mean of	any			11	89	18	72	10	88	20	56	20	85	42	67	15	87	36	56	16	92	33	83

Se = sensitivity; Sp = specificity; PPV/NPV = positive/negative predictive value; T = thoracic; L = lumbar; S = sacral; † = no finding in the physical examination/pain drawing