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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Discography
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Discography
by MAXNROCKY, Apr 29, 2005 12:00AM
Have had negative EMG for recurrent L4/L5 & L5/S1 radiculopathy. My Neurologist now wants to do a Discogram. Have read there are split reviews on both the necessity or efficacy of this test. Anyway presuming I have an annular tear I'm guseeing I will be a candidate for a Lumbar Fusion. I have Osteoporosis and am fearful that I would not be a good candidate for the procedure, that absorption would occur rather rapidly and I will be back a ground zero or worse. Thank You!
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, May 03, 2005 12:00AM
Discograms are controversial and involve the injection of contrast or other material into the disc to try to reproduce the pain experienced by the patient. This can be less than accurate though as discs can be innervated at a different level to the actual diseased disc, so the results can be hard to interpret
An annular tear alone is a relatively minor disc problem and many surgeons may not do a lumbar fusion for that alone unless it coexisted with other problems ie slipping of the vertebral bodies or unstable joints
Osteoporosis can make placing instruments ie rods/screws etc in the spine troublesome. TO get around this some surgeons use cement or other non-instruent methods to join bones together.
Good luck
An annular tear alone is a relatively minor disc problem and many surgeons may not do a lumbar fusion for that alone unless it coexisted with other problems ie slipping of the vertebral bodies or unstable joints
Osteoporosis can make placing instruments ie rods/screws etc in the spine troublesome. TO get around this some surgeons use cement or other non-instruent methods to join bones together.
Good luck
