title: Bony vibration stimulation: a new, non-invasive method for examining intradiscal pain.
abstract: Fifty-seven patients with low-back pain were evaluated immediately prior to a discography examination by means of an electrical tool which produced bony vibration to the lumbar spinal processes. The vibrator was composed of a standard electric toothbrush shaft (Braun) with a blunt head instead of the brush. The lumbar spinal processes were compressed one by one for a few seconds with this blunt, vibrating tool. The patient's pain experience provoked by vibration was compared with that from injections during discography. A good correlation was found between these two examinations when patients with previously operated backs and painful, prolapsed discs were excluded: sensitivity was 0.96 and specificity 0.72. Prolapsed, but discographically painful discs were always painless in the vibration examination. The local, non-invasive bony vibration stimulation test is an easy, quick, safe, inexpensive and reliable method for examining intradiscal pain.
authors.affiliation: University of Oulu, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yrjämä
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vanharanta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014732:Vibration