Assessment of Upper Extremity Proprioception in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy
概览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 招募中
- 入组人数
- 58
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- The Upper Limb Proprioception Reaching Test (PRO-Reach)
概览
简要总结
There is no study in the current literature that systematically investigates the extent of upper-extremity proprioceptive impairment in patients with radicular neuropathic symptoms secondary to cervical disc herniation, nor its association with clinical findings. Although existing reviews emphasize proprioceptive deficits in populations with neck pain or cervical spondylosis, no studies specifically address the subgroup of cervical disc-related radiculopathy. This gap in knowledge hinders the integration of proprioceptive assessments with upper-extremity functional outcome measures in diagnostic and rehabilitative processes, suggesting a need for more specific data to guide sensory-motor training approaches. The primary aim of the present study is to assess upper-extremity proprioception in patients with cervical radiculopathy by comparing them with a healthy control group. The secondary aim is to examine the relationship between upper-extremity proprioception and clinical outcomes, including parameters such as pain and functional status.
详细描述
Cervical radicular pain is a neuropathic pain syndrome characterized by dermatomal distribution resulting from irritation of the cervical spinal nerve roots. The most common underlying causes are cervical disc herniation and cervical spinal stenosis. Motor, sensory, or reflex disturbances may accompany the condition, and it is most frequently observed in individuals aged 50-54 years.
Proprioception is a sensorimotor function that enables the perception of joint position and movement through the processing of afferent inputs originating from joints, muscles, and tendons within the central nervous system. Proprioceptive inputs from the cervical spine integrate with visual and vestibular information to play a critical role in head-trunk orientation, postural control, and upper-extremity movement coordination.
Although there is currently no gold-standard method for assessing active joint position sense-the quantifiable component of proprioception-tools such as manual and digital goniometers, inclinometers, and laser pointers are commonly used. However, these techniques measure joint position sense in a single plane and typically at a single joint. Recent studies, however, support the use of assessment methods that capture multisensory spatial representation of the entire limb and reflect the complexity of daily functional movements by incorporating multiplanar and multi-joint measurements. The PRO-Reach method developed by Ager et al. enables such multi-planar and multi-joint assessment without requiring computerized interfaces or robotic devices.
Numerous studies have demonstrated impaired cervical proprioception in cervicogenic conditions such as chronic neck pain and cervical spondylosis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the extent of upper-extremity proprioceptive impairment in patients with cervical radiculopathy. Cervical muscle fatigue or alterations in cervical sensory input may reduce the accuracy of upper-extremity joint positioning, thereby negatively affecting upper-extremity proprioception
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Observational
- 观察模型
- Case Control
- 时间视角
- Cross Sectional
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 65 Years（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Being between 18 and 65 years of age
- •Presence of radicular pain diagnosed through clinical examination and cervical -MRI imaging Patients with cervical MRI findings demonstrating cervical disc herniation at least at one level consistent with their symptoms
- •Willingness to participate in the study
排除标准
- •History of cervical physical therapy within the past year
- •Symptoms or diagnosis of upper-extremity entrapment neuropathy
- •Patients with documented vitamin B12 or vitamin D deficiency within the last 2 years in available medical records
- •History of cervical surgery or cervical trauma
- •History of upper-extremity surgery or trauma
- •Individuals with intellectual disability
- •Presence of major psychiatric comorbidity
- •Diagnosis of polyneuropathy
- •Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus
- •Diagnosis of fibromyalgia
研究组 & 干预措施
Patients with Cervical Radiculopathy
Patients aged 18-65 years who were diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy based on history, physical examination, and clinical evaluation
Healty Participants
Healthy volunteers matched to the cervical radiculopathy group in terms of age, sex, and BMI.
结局指标
主要结局
The Upper Limb Proprioception Reaching Test (PRO-Reach)
时间窗: Baseline
PRO-Reach is a 90 × 110 cm plastic poster mounted on the wall using bilateral magnetic strips. Round stickers with a diameter of 0.6 cm, manually numbered (1-3), are used to mark the three free-reach attempts for each target. Seven targets are used and are named according to the movement direction of the dominant limb: the left side of the poster represents the dominant side for left-handed participants, while the right side corresponds to non-dominant (ND) cross-body movements. The opposite applies to right-handed participants. The targets are labeled as follows: superior (S), superior-lateral dominant (SLD) and non-dominant (SLND), lateral-dominant (LD) and non-dominant (LND), and inferior-lateral dominant (ILD) and non-dominant (ILND). The (S) target is used for evaluation in participants without limb dominance. The (S) target is also used for the three familiarization trials (three memorization and reposition attempts). The purpose is to "assess the ability to reproduce movements
次要结局
- The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)(Baseline)
- DN-4 Quastionnaire(Baseline)
- SHORT FORM-12(Baseline)
- Handgrip Strength Test(Jamar Hand Dynamometer)(Baseline)
- Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (QuickDASH)(Baseline)