Assessment of Upper Extremity Proprioception in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy

PRO-Reach is a 90 × 110 cm plastic poster mounted on the wall using bilateral magnetic strips. Round stickers with a diameter of 0.6 cm, manually numbered (1-3), are used to mark the three free-reach attempts for each target. Seven targets are used and are named according to the movement direction of the dominant limb: the left side of the poster represents the dominant side for left-handed participants, while the right side corresponds to non-dominant (ND) cross-body movements. The opposite applies to right-handed participants. The targets are labeled as follows: superior (S), superior-lateral dominant (SLD) and non-dominant (SLND), lateral-dominant (LD) and non-dominant (LND), and inferior-lateral dominant (ILD) and non-dominant (ILND). The (S) target is used for evaluation in participants without limb dominance. The (S) target is also used for the three familiarization trials (three memorization and reposition attempts). The purpose is to "assess the ability to reproduce movements

The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) is a unidimensional, self-reported measure of pain intensity that is widely used in both clinical practice and research, including studies involving patients with chronic pain. On this scale, patients rate their current level of pain on an 11-point numeric range from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable." Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.

The DN-4 (Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions) is a brief and reliable screening questionnaire used to determine whether a patient's pain is of neuropathic origin. It consists of a total of 10 items. Its name, DN-4, derives from the fact that it includes 4 main sections. Seven of the questions relate to patient-reported sensory symptoms, while three are based on clinical examination findings. Each "yes" response scores 1 point, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 10. A score above 4 indicates a high likelihood of neuropathic pain.

The Short Form-12 (SF-12) is a health-related quality of life assessment tool that summarizes an individual's physical and mental health status through 12 items. It is a shortened version of the SF-36 questionnaire and measures eight health domains: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional, and mental health. The SF-12 produces two composite scores - the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) - which are standardized to a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 in the general population. Higher scores indicate better health status and quality of life.

The Jamar hand dynamometer is a hydraulic measurement device used to assess hand grip strength in an objective and reproducible manner. It is considered the gold standard in musculoskeletal research, rehabilitation, neurological evaluation, and work capacity assessments. The patient is seated with back support, the shoulder in a neutral position, the elbow flexed at 90°, and the forearm in a neutral position. The dynamometer is placed in the patient's hand, and they are instructed to "squeeze maximally." Typically, three trials are performed for each hand, and either the highest value or the mean value is used. Measurements are generally recorded in kilograms (kg) or pounds (lb). Higher scores indicate greater grip strength, whereas lower scores suggest reduced muscle strength and may reflect sarcopenia, as well as potential neurological or musculoskeletal functional impairment.

The QuickDASH (Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) is a brief and practical self-report questionnaire used to assess functional impairment and symptom severity of the upper extremity. It is the shortened version of the full DASH questionnaire and is widely preferred in clinical practice. The scale consists of 11 items that evaluate functional limitations and symptoms such as pain in the hand, arm, and shoulder regions. Patients respond based on their condition over the past week. Each item is scored from 1 to 5, and the final score is calculated on a 0-100 scale. A score of 0 indicates no disability related to the upper extremity, whereas higher scores reflect greater levels of disability.