Pronator Teres Reflex and the Diagnosis of C6 and C7 Radiculopathy

Objectives: neck roots lesions are among the etiologies of cervical and arm pain. a detailedpatient evaluation could assist the diagnosis, reduce imaging requests, and promote thetreatment of cervical pain. we tried to estimate the value of pronator teres reflex in c6 and c7roots irritation.methods: the present study comprises 118 participants, including 56 patients with c6 and c7lesions and 62 normal controls. the reliability and usefulness of this reflex in c6 and c7 rootslesions were compared to positive electromyography and imaging with magnetic resonance.results: the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value forpronator teres reflex were 36.4%, 13.6%, 64.8%, and 4.6%, respectively.discussion: this reflex can be considered an additional reflex during the physical examinationfor c6 and c7 nerve roots injury, but its diagnostic value for c6 and c7 radiculopathy isunreliable to be used for screening purposes.