Differences between cervical myelopathy and cervical radiculopathy
| Feature | Myelopathy | Radiculopathy |
|---|---|---|
| Etiology | Spinal cord compression | Nerve root compression |
| Neck pain | Variable | Variable |
| Cranial nerve | Occasional | Never |
| Sensory loss | Stocking-glove paresthesias/numbness (all limbs) | Light touch/pinprick (upper limb dermatome) |
| Weakness (early) | All limbs (diffuse) | Upper limb myotome |
| Weakness (late) | Spastic paraparesis, quadriparesis | Upper limb myotome |
| Deep tendon reflexes | Upper limbs (decreased), lower limbs (increased) | Upper limb (decreased) |
| Pathologic reflexes | Babinski’s sign, Hoffmann’s sign | None |
| Lhermitte’s sign | Occasional | Never |
| Bladder disturbance | Urine retention, urine incontinence | None |
| Spinal automaticity | Jumping legs | Non |
