Abstract
SUMMARY Lumbar provocation discography is a commonly used diagnostic procedure utilized to determine the presence or absence of discogenic pain at a specific spinal segment. Although multidisciplinary societies have recognized discography as the primary criterion for identifying discogenic pain, the test remains controversial. Skeptics argue against its sensitivity and specificity, and suggest that it‘s risks outweigh any potential benefits. However, when properly performed and interpreted, discography is an invaluable tool. Together with a patient‘s history, physical examination and radiological studies, discography will safely identify both symptomatic and asymptomatic discs to provide confirmatory evidence that a particular disc is the source of the patient‘s pain. Since information from this study may be used to plan for percutaneous or open surgical procedures, accurate and precise interpretation of the results is vital.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Notes
Reproduced with permission from the International Spine Intervention Society Citation[8].