Assessment of Upper Extremity Proprioception in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy

NCT ID: NCT07319156

Last Updated: 2026-01-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 58 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-12-20
• Study Completion Date: 2026-03-01

Brief Summary

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

Conditions

Cervical Radiculopathy; Proprioception; Cervical Disc Herniation; Proprioception Reaching Test; Pro-reach; Upper Extremity

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CONTROL
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

Patients with Cervical Radiculopathy

Patients aged 18-65 years who were diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy based on history, physical examination, and clinical evaluation

No interventions assigned to this group

Healty Participants

Healthy volunteers matched to the cervical radiculopathy group in terms of age, sex, and BMI.

No interventions assigned to this group

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Marmara University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Fatma B Akdağ, Research Assistant

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Marmara University Faculty of Medicine ,Marmara University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Osman H Gündüz, Professor

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Algology Division, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine

Serdar Kokar, Associate Professor

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Algology Division, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine

Savaş Şencan, Associate Professor

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Algology Division, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine

Gökçenur Yalçın, Medical specialist

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Marmara University Faculty of Medicine ,Marmara University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Locations

Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Pendik Training and Research Hospital, Algology Department

Istanbul, Pendik, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

Fatma B Akdağ, Research Assistant

Role: CONTACT

fatma.betul820@gmail.com

+90 537 452 96 60

Savaş Şencan, Associate Professor

Role: CONTACT

savas-44@hotmail.com

Facility Contacts

Fatma B Akdağ, Research Assistant

Role: primary

fatma.betul820@gmail.com

+905374529660

Other Identifiers

MarmaraU-FTR-FBA-02

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id