A new study published in The Spine Journal examines whether provocative discography causes clinically-important injury for lumbar intervertebral discs.
The study examined 57 patients without back pain to participate in the study for provocative discography at the L3-S1 discs. The study authors also examined a closely-matched control group to undergo similar evaluations, but without discography injections.
The researchers found:
1. There were 16 lumbar surgeries reported in the discography group; four patients in the control group underwent spinal surgery.
2. Medical visits and CT/MRI examinations for patients in the discography group were more common than in the control group.
3. Patients in the discography group were more likely to report work loss and prolonged back pain than patients in the control group.
4. The researchers concluded, "The disc puncture and pressurized injection performed during provocative discography can increase the risk of clinical disc problems in exposed patients."