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In patients with sciatica-like symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbosacral spine is appropriate if pain is intractable or “red flag” signs and symptoms are present. When history and physical examination are consistent with compression of a single nerve root, lumbosacral MRI usually reveals the cause (e.g., herniated disk). However, when lumbosacral MRI does not reveal the cause, nerve compression or another condition that mimics sciatica might be present in an extraspinal location such as the lumbosacral plexus or pelvis. These areas can be visualized with a coronal short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) MRI sequence.
In this study from France, researchers assessed the value of adding coronal STIR to conventional lumbosacral MR…