Cervical radiculopathy combined with cervical myelopathy: prevalence and characteristics

Patients with cervical myelopathy may experience symptoms of radiculopathy, and it is not easy to determine whether these symptoms are caused by the myelopathy itself or by a radiculopathy accompanied by root compression. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of radiculopathy combined with cervical myelopathy and to evaluate the characteristics of cervical myelopathy with or without radiculopathy. We enrolled 127 patients with cervical myelopathy in this retrospective study and reviewed their medical records and magnetic resonance imaging findings. They were divided into two groups according to the presence of cervical radiculopathy, and their age, sex, involved spinal segment, cord signal change, surgical method, clinical status were compared, and postsurgical recovery was compared using four clinical questionnaires. The incidence and level of radiculopathy combined with myelopathy were investigated. Combined cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy was diagnosed in 66 patients (51.9%, group 1), whereas 61 patients did not have radiculopathy (group 2). There was no difference in sex, age, cord signal change, preoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association score, neck disability index, and neck visual analogue scale (VAS) between the two groups, but group 1 showed higher preoperative arm VAS score (p = 0.001). Postoperative arm and neck VAS scores were significantly improved in group 1 (p = 0.001 and 0.009). Half of the patients had combined cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy. A high preoperative arm VAS score was a characteristic of radiculopathy combined with myelopathy.