The relationship of the shear wave elastography findings of patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation and clinical characteristics

Background The aim of this study was to find out whether the shear wave elastography (SWE) findings of patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation (LDH) were related to clinical characteristics. Methods For this purpose, the study group included patients ( N = 20; 13 male, 7 female) with complaints of unilateral sciatica, with foraminal stenosis caused by one level of LDH (L4-L5 or L5-S1). An gender-and age-matched control group ( N = 27; 16 male, 11 female) was included. All the patients were examined on both the axial and longitudinal planes bilaterally at the same level using a convex array probe (1- 6 MHz, Supersonic Imagine, Aix en Provence, France). Results The sciatic nerve stiffness measured on longitudinal planes of the affected side was significantly higher than unaffected side ( p < 0.001) and the control group ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the symptom duration of unilateral LDH is positively correlated with the stiffness the sciatic nerve (r = 0.52, p = 0.019). Conclusion According to these findings, ultrasound imaging can be considered as a useful tool to detect changes in the sciatic nerve due to disc herniation. This technique will have a promising prospect for many patients with unilateral LDH in monitoring stiffness during rehabilitation and before or after surgery.