Anatomical review of the lumbosacral plexus and nerves of the lower extremity

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 138-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Sforsini ◽  
Jaime A. Wikinski
2019 ◽  
pp. 124-137
Author(s):  
Kjetil Larsen ◽  
George C. Chang Chien

Lumbosacral plexus entrapment syndrome (LPES) is a little-known but common cause of chronic lumbopelvic and lower extremity pain. The lumbar plexus, including the lumbosacral tunks emerge through the fibers of the psoas major, and the proximal sciatic nerve beneath the piriformis muscles. Severe weakness of these muscles may lead to entrapment plexopathy, resulting in diffuse and non-specific pain patterns throughout the lumbopelvic complex and lower extremities (LPLE), easily mimicking other diagnoses and is therefore likely to mislead the interpreting clinician. It is a pathology very similar to that of thoracic outlet syndrome, but for the lower body. This two-part manuscript series was written in an attempt to demonstrate the existence, pathophysiology, diagnostic protocol as well as interventional strategy for LPES, and its efficacy.Piriformis syndrome; Nerve entrapment; Double-crush; Pain, Chronic; Fibromyalgia Citation: Larsen K, Chien GCC. Lumbosacral plexus entrapment syndrome. Part one: A common yet little-known cause of chronic pelvic and lower extremity pain. Anaesth pain & intensiv care 2019;23(2):124-137


2019 ◽  
pp. 138-144
Author(s):  
Kjetil Larsen ◽  
George C. Chang Chien

Background: Lumbosacral plexus entrapment syndrome (LPES) is a little-known but common cause of chronic lumbopelvic and lower extremity pain. The authors document the clinical course of 61 patients who were diagnosed and treated for LPES between May 2016 and October 2018. The study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of our proposed diagnostic and conservative treatment protocol for LPES, clinically.Methodology: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients suffering from LPES. Patients were included in this study if they compatible symptoms with LPES with symptoms of low back, pelvic, groin, genital, thigh or calf pain after other more common etiologies have been excluded. Additionally, these patients had at least 5 positive provocative Tinel’s tests applied to various lumbopelvic and lower extremity (LPLE) nerve branches yielding => 7 (numeric rating scale) NRS, and weakness of one or more myotomes of the lower body. The group in its entirety was treated with gentle strengthening of the psoas major and piriformis muscles. The primary outcome measure was patient reported satisfaction and improvement including: Full, significant, moderate, slight, or no improvement in pain and symptoms. Patients were followed for up to two years.Results: The most common complaints amongst the patient pool were low back, groin, pelvic, posterior/lateral calf pain. Additionally, 17 patients (28%) stated that everything in the LPLE hurts, consistent with plexalgia. 13 patients were lost to follow-up as they did not reschedule treatment, for unknown reasons. Amongst the remaining 48 patients, 25 recovered fully (52%), 12 significantly (25%), and five moderately (10,4%). Five patients had a slight improvement (10,4%), and two no improvement whatsoever (4%). The average recovery times were mostly consistent with the time of affliction. Patients with a symptom duration of less than one year, generally recovered within 4 months. One to four years, within 10,5 months. Five to nine years, 7,5 months. And, finally, more than 10 years, within 18 months.Conclusion: Non-specific pain syndromes in the LPLE where other causes have been excluded, may be attributable to underlying LPES. In this study, a high correlation between the diagnostic & interventional protocols, and beneficial patient outcomes were demonstrated. However, more statistical and long-term research is needed.Citation: Larsen K, Chien GCC. Lumbosacral plexus entrapment syndrome. Part Two: Symptomology and rehabilitative trials. Anaesth pain & intensiv care 2019;23(2):138-144


2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-4, 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Brigham

Abstract To account for the effects of multiple impairments, evaluating physicians must provide a summary value that combines multiple impairments so the whole person impairment is equal to or less than the sum of all the individual impairment values. A common error is to add values that should be combined and typically results in an inflated rating. The Combined Values Chart in the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fifth Edition, includes instructions that guide physicians about combining impairment ratings. For example, impairment values within a region generally are combined and converted to a whole person permanent impairment before combination with the results from other regions (exceptions include certain impairments of the spine and extremities). When they combine three or more values, physicians should select and combine the two lowest values; this value is combined with the third value to yield the total value. Upper extremity impairment ratings are combined based on the principle that a second and each succeeding impairment applies not to the whole unit (eg, whole finger) but only to the part that remains (eg, proximal phalanx). Physicians who combine lower extremity impairments usually use only one evaluation method, but, if more than one method is used, the physician should use the Combined Values Chart.


2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 4-4

Abstract Lesions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), whether due to injury or illness, commonly result in residual symptoms and signs and, hence, permanent impairment. The AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), Fourth Edition, divides PNS deficits into sensory and motor and includes pain in the former. This article, which regards rating sensory and motor deficits of the lower extremities, is continued from the March/April 2000 issue of The Guides Newsletter. Procedures for rating extremity neural deficits are described in Chapter 3, The Musculoskeletal System, section 3.1k for the upper extremity and sections 3.2k and 3.2l for the lower limb. Sensory deficits and dysesthesia are both disorders of sensation, but the former can be interpreted to mean diminished or absent sensation (hypesthesia or anesthesia) Dysesthesia implies abnormal sensation in the absence of a stimulus or unpleasant sensation elicited by normal touch. Sections 3.2k and 3.2d indicate that almost all partial motor loss in the lower extremity can be rated using Table 39. In addition, Section 4.4b and Table 21 indicate the multistep method used for spinal and some additional nerves and be used alternatively to rate lower extremity weakness in general. Partial motor loss in the lower extremity is rated by manual muscle testing, which is described in the AMA Guides in Section 3.2d.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-16
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Brigham ◽  
Kathryn Mueller ◽  
Steven Demeter ◽  
Randolph Soo Hoo
Keyword(s):  

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Robert H. Haralson

Abstract The AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), Fifth Edition, was published in November 2000 and contains major changes from its predecessor. In the Fourth Edition, all musculoskeletal evaluation and rating was described in a single chapter. In the Fifth Edition, this information has been divided into three separate chapters: Upper Extremity (13), Lower Extremity (14), and Spine (15). This article discusses changes in the spine chapter. The Models for rating spinal impairment now are called Methods. The AMA Guides, Fifth Edition, has reverted to standard terminology for spinal regions in the Diagnosis-related estimates (DRE) Method, and both it and the Range of Motion (ROM) Method now reference cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. Also, the language requiring the use of the DRE, rather than the ROM Method has been strengthened. The biggest change in the DRE Method is that evaluation should include the treatment results. Unfortunately, the Fourth Edition's philosophy regarding when and how to rate impairment using the DRE Model led to a number of problems, including the same rating of all patients with radiculopathy despite some true differences in outcomes. The term differentiator was abandoned and replaced with clinical findings. Significant changes were made in evaluation of patients with spinal cord injuries, and evaluators should become familiar with these and other changes in the Fifth Edition.


1983 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong-Wei Chen ◽  
Bing-Fang Zeng
Keyword(s):  

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