[The application of lumbar discography in the diagnosis and treatment of the discogenic low back pain].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnostic value of lumbar discography in discogenic low back pain and the effects of intervertebral fusion surgery.


METHODS
Forty-five cases with 101 discs underwent discography, 360 degree fusion manipulation were performed on 18 discography abnormal cases, 27 cases were treated conservatively. Discography, MRI and provocative pain were observed and all the cases were followed up.


RESULTS
Twenty-one cases showed positive provocative pain (21/45, 47%), and 21 discs of 101 were concordant discography (21/101, 21%). All cases were followed up for an average 16 months (15 to 23 months), the satisfactory rate was 83% (15/18) in the surgery group and 41% (11/27) in the conservative group.


CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that the discography is moderately sensitive in the diagnosis of discogenic low back pain. Furthermore, the short term follow-up reveals that operative group has better pain relief than conservative group.
Hao
Ding-jun
DJ
Department of Spine Surgery, Xi'an Red Cross Hospital, Xi'an 710054, China. haodingjun@126.com
Liu
Tuan-jiang
TJ
Wu
Qi-ning
QN
He
Bao-rong
BR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods*; D017586:Diskectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D013123:Spinal Fusion