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Rate ePoster

Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine

The Association Between Lower Extremity Tendinopathies and Lumbar Radiculopathy

Saturday, October 25, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM MT
Location: Kiosk 8
Has Audio

    Poster Presenter(s)

  • Stephen Fanous, Other

    Medical Student
    University of Kansas School of Medicine
    Overland Park, Kansas

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Neil A. Segal, MD

    Professor
    The University of Kansas
    Kansas City, Kansas

  • AL

    Alexandre Lavigne, MD

    PM&R Sports Medicine fellow
    Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  • GI

    Gregory Isaac, MD

    Researcher
    University of Minnesota
    Kansas City, Missouri

  • Michael Khadavi, MD

    Sports Medicine Physician; Assistant Professor of PM&R
    Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance; University of Missouri Dept of PM&R
    Overland Park, Kansas

Disclosure(s):
Stephen Fanous, Other: No financial relationships to disclose
Neil A. Segal, MD: No relevant disclosure to display
Background and/or Objectives: Lower extremity tendinopathies and lumbar radiculopathy are often observed together in clinical practice, yet their association remains understudied. This study aimed to quantify the coexistence of plantar fasciopathy, gluteal tendinopathy, and proximal hamstring tendinopathy with lumbar radiculopathy to enhance physician awareness and improve outcomes through earlier recognition and management.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting : Outpatient clinics at the University of Kansas Medical Center and Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance Clinic from 2014 to 2024.

Participants : A total of 437 patients diagnosed with plantar fasciopathy, gluteal tendinopathy, proximal hamstring tendinopathy, or patellofemoral pain syndrome. Patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome served as the control group.

Interventions: No therapeutic intervention was administered. Diagnoses were made based on clinical history, physical examination, and imaging. Lumbar radiculopathy was assessed using clinical history, motor and sensory testing, magnetic resonance imaging, and electromyography.

Main Outcome Measures: Presence or absence of lumbar radiculopathy in patients with each tendinopathy type. Associations were analyzed using odds ratios and p-values.

Results: Ipsilateral lumbar radiculopathy was present in 12% of plantar fasciopathy, 18% of proximal hamstring tendinopathy, 25% of gluteal tendinopathy, and 8% of control (PFPS) cases. Gluteal tendinopathy showed a significant association (OR 3.83; 95% CI 1.57–10.82; p=0.006), and proximal hamstring tendinopathy was highly suggestive (OR 2.52; 95% CI 0.87–7.86; p=0.094) of a true association. No significant association was found for plantar fasciopathy (OR 1.60; 95% CI 0.68–4.42; p=0.315).

Conclusions: The results support a significant association between ipsilateral lumbar radiculopathy and gluteal tendinopathy and are suggestive of a possible association with proximal hamstring tendinopathy. Clinicians should evaluate for radiculopathy in these patients to guide treatment and improve clinical outcomes.