Revalidating Pfirrmann's Magnetic Resonance Image-Based Grading of Lumbar Nerve Root Compromise by Calculating Reliability among Orthopaedic Residents

Abstract

Our residents took only a short time to learn and reproduce this grading system as ratings that proved to be moderately reliable. Even though the value of kappa was slightly lower, reliability was similar to that of the original authors. We think that this grading system can be adopted in day-to-day practice by framing appropriate rules to interpret MR images where the nerve roots are not visible.