Thoracic Discography.indd

The technique that developed into discography was first described by Lindblom (1) when he used the term diagnostic disc puncture. Hirsch (2) used the procedure to identify painful discs in patients with sciatica and lumbar pain. Lindblom (1) did further work using the injection of contrast media to visualize radial tears in the annulus, expanding the diagnostic information from intervertebral discs. Pain provocation upon injection served to localize the painful disc and radiographic appearance with contrast gave information about the internal morphology of the disc. Cloward and Busade (3) described the technique, use and indications for discography in both the lumbar and cervical regions over fifty years ago and the clinical use of discography has expanded enormously in the years since. Lumbar discography and, to a somewhat lesser extent cervical discography, has been extensively documented, practiced and refined