title: Quantitative discomanometry and acute disk injuries: an experimental model.
abstract: Quantitative discomanometry is a study of intradiscal pressure changes during quantitative injection. The purpose of this study was to determine if correlations exist between discomanometric parameters and disk injuries. Sixteen three-vertebrae porcine spine segments, with two intervening disks, were subjected to standardized high-speed trauma. The injuries were documented by a radiographic injury score (RIS), using pre- and posttrauma lateral radiographs. An anatomic injury score (AIS) also was obtained, based on an anatomic dissection and mid-sagittal plane cuts of the frozen specimen. Before the cutting, each of the disks was subjected to quantitative discomanometry, providing pressure/volume curves. Significant negative correlations were found between the RIS and the maximum pressure sustained (R = -0.60, p < 0.001), and pressure/volume slope (R = -0.60, p < 0.001). Similar relationships were found between the AIS and the maximum pressure (R = -0.71, p < 0.001), and pressure/volume slope (R = -0.63, p < 0.001). This study suggests that quantitative discomanometry can be used to quantify disk injuries. Because the intradiscal pressurization mimics the physiology with weight bearing, its use as a measure of integrity of the end-plate-annulus-end-plate enclosure might be justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Panjabi
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Southern
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Oxland
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Duranceau
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D013552:Swine; D016474:Weight-Bearing