Book Review: Lumbar Discography

Systematic review of lumbar discography as a diagnostic test for chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND The intervertebral disc has been implicated as an etiology of chronic lumbar spine pain based on clinical, basic science, and epidemiological research. However, there is lack of consensus regarding the diagnosis and treatment of intervertebral disc disorders. Based on controlled evaluations, the lumbar intervertebral discs have been shown to be sources of chronic back pain without di...

Book Review

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Lumbar discography: a tool for understanding spinal pain.

The procedure is diagnostic in nature and is performed by a provider knowledgeable in spinal anatomy as well as in radiological imaging and equipment. Discography is the only means of directly assessing whether a patient’s disc is the cause of back or neck pain. It is a more sensitive test for internal disc disruption than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Disc abnormalities may be identified o...

Intraoperative Discography for Detecting Concealed Lumbar Discal Cysts

Lumbar discal cyst is a rare cause of radiculopathy. Their exact pathogenesis and the optimal treatment modality remain unidentified. Depending on their location, discal cysts cannot always be easily identified intraoperatively. We describe 2 patients with discal cysts and introduce an intraoperative discography technique for discal cyst location. Both patients were treated with surgical excisi...

Book Review