Disc deterioration in low-back syndromes. A prospective, multi-center CT/discography study.
Disc deterioration and pain provocation in different low-back pain syndromes was studied using computed tomography (CT) discography. Data were prospectively collected for 300 patients (816 discs). Patients were classified by their pre-discography diagnosis of disc herniation (DH), degenerated disc (DD), lumbar syndrome (LS), lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS), or other. The CT/discograms were classified by discographic pain response, the amount of degeneration and annular disruption. Eighty-two percent of DH patients, 80% of DD, 56% of LS, and 59% of LRS patients had both positive discographic pain provocation and moderate or severe disc deterioration. The study indicates that intradiscal pathology plays a major role in nonspecific low-back pain syndromes.
Vanharanta
H
H
Texas Back Institute Research Foundation, Plano.
Guyer
R D
RD
Ohnmeiss
D D
DD
Stith
W J
WJ
Sachs
B L
BL
Aprill
C
C
Spivey
M
M
Rashbaum
R F
RF
Hochschuler
S H
SH
Videman
T
T
D001416:Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media