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Noninvasive Measurement of Sciatic Nerve Stiffness in Patients With Chronic Low Back Related Leg Pain Using Shear
Tiago Neto1,2, Sandro R Freitas1,3, Ricardo J Andrade4
1Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Lisbon, Portugal.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether sciatic nerve stiffness is altered in people with chronic low back-related leg pain by using shear wave elastography.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, the sciatic nerve shear wave velocity (ie, an index of stiffness) was measured in both legs of 16 participants (8 with unilateral low back-related leg pain and 8 healthy controls). Sciatic stiffness was measured during a passive ankle dorsiflexion motion performed at 2°/s in an isokinetic dynamometer. The ankle range of motion and passive torque, as well as muscle activity, were also measured.
Results:
In people with low back-related leg pain, the affected limb showed higher sciatic nerve stiffness compared to the unaffected limb (+11.3%; P = .05). However, no differences were observed between the unaffected limb of people with low back-related leg pain and the healthy controls (P = .34).
Conclusions:
People with chronic low back-related leg pain have interlimb differences in sciatic nerve stiffness, as measured by a safe and noninvasive method: shear wave elastography. The changes found may be related to alterations in nerve mechanical properties, which should be confirmed by future investigations.
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