title: Intrinsic disc pressure as a measure of integrity of the lumbar spine.
abstract: Intradiscal pressure and volume measurements were made in 84 fresh cadaveric lumbar spine disc spaces. The nucleus was injected with a roentgenographic contrast agent under fluoroscopic examination. The intrinsic pressure, the pressure at which the agent entered the disc, and the maximum pressure that the disc could hold were measured. The discs were graded for degeneration. The intrinsic and maximum pressures were found to be inversely related to disc degeneration grade, and directly related to each other. Relatively greater degeneration was found at lower levels of the lumbar spine as compared to the upper levels. The intrinsic disc pressure may prove to be a useful clinical tool in the evaluation of spinal integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panjabi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindahl
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irstam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermens
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002102:Cadaver; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000503:physiopathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D011859:Radiography; D014160:Transducers, Pressure
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media