umbar Discography : A Comprehensive Review f Outcome Studies , Diagnostic Accuracy

Results: Based on a large number of comparative studies, plain discography is less accurate than magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus and comparable or slightly more sensitive in detecting degenerative disc disease. For disc degeneration, CT discography remains the gold standard for diagnosis. There are very few studies comparing surgical outcomes between patients who have undergone preoperative provocative discography and those who have not. What little evidence exists is conflicting. Before disc replacement surgery, approximately half the studies have used preoperative discography. A comparison of outcomes did not reveal any significant difference between the 2 groups but none of the studies was controlled, and they used different outcome measures, follow-up periods, and surgical techniques. Because all intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) studies have used discography before surgery, no conclusions can be drawn regarding its effects on outcome.