Assessment of Upper Extremity Proprioception in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cervical Radiculopathy, Proprioception, Cervical Disc Herniation, Proprioception Reaching Test. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
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.
Detailed description
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
Primary outcome measures
- The Upper Limb Proprioception Reaching Test (PRO-Reach) [Time frame: Baseline]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) [Time frame: Baseline]
- DN-4 Quastionnaire [Time frame: Baseline]
- SHORT FORM-12 [Time frame: Baseline]
- Handgrip Strength Test(Jamar Hand Dynamometer) [Time frame: Baseline]
- Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (QuickDASH) [Time frame: Baseline]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- 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
Exclusion criteria
- 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
- Use of medications that may impair proprioception
- Pregnancy
- Refusal to provide informed consent
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
Study locations
Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center
- Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Pendik Training and Research Hospital, Algology De — Istanbul
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07319156 · MarmaraU-FTR-FBA-02