Diagnostic findings in painful adult scoliosis.

The purpose of this study was to document the diagnostic findings in a group of adult patients presenting with both scoliosis and pain. Fifty-five adults were evaluated by medical history, physical examination, radiography, myelography followed by computed tomography, discography followed by computed tomography, and single- and dual-photon densitometry. Curves were 49% adult degenerative onset, 44% idiopathic. The older degenerative patients had myelographic defects most commonly within the primary curve and multiple abnormal, not necessarily painful, discs throughout the lumbar spine on discography. The idiopathic group had myelographic defects most commonly in a compensatory lumbar or lumbosacral curve. On discography, all idiopathic patients had at least one abnormal, painful disc, and 88% had their pain reproduced. Pain-producing pathology was frequently identified in areas that would not have been included in the fusion area according to accepted rules for treatment of idiopathic scoliosis.     

青年士兵盘源性下腰痛CT椎间盘造影与MRI表现的相关性

目的探讨CT椎间盘造影(CTD)诱发青年士兵盘源性下腰痛患者一致性疼痛与腰椎间盘MRI表现的相关性。方法对54例盘源性下腰痛青年士兵行MR检查后,共对152个腰椎间盘进行CTD,分析CTD分型、对比剂剂量、诱发一致性疼痛与MRI表现的相关性。结果青年士兵盘源性下腰痛患者椎间盘内破裂类型主要为CTDⅡ型和Ⅳ型,其分型、对比剂注射剂量与诱发一致性疼痛具有相关性(P0.01),腰椎间盘MRI表现与CTD诱发一致性疼痛存在明显相关性(P0.01)。结论 CTD能够定性诊断腰椎间盘内破裂,进一步确定责任椎间盘;MRI改变可能与青年士兵盘源性下腰痛的病因相关。     

间盘造影在近融合椎正常间盘的诊断价值

目的 采取回顾分析的研究方法，探讨椎间盘造影术在腰椎融合邻近正常椎间盘的诊断应用价值。方法 57例因椎间盘源性下腰痛行椎间盘切除和后路椎间融合术的患者。手术前行椎间盘造影时，不包括邻近融合节段的正常椎间盘。所有患者随访35．6个月（24-80个月）。对所有患者的临床疗效和影像学结果进行评价分析。结果 53例患者中49例临床效果优良，随访2年以上，38例患者无任何症状。15例患者在度过21个月的无症状期后出现疼痛复发，采用腰椎MRI和椎间盘造影复查。结果 MRI发现15例患者中的8例出现了邻近节段椎间盘的退变，而此8例中仅有1例（2％）经过MRI和椎间盘造影同时证实该节段为疼痛的原因，从而再次进行融合手术。结论 术前MRI上专现为正常的相邻椎间盘在椎间融合术后不容易变成病变节段，因此没有必要常规在术前为了排除病变节段，而行相邻于拟融合节段的正常椎间盘的造影检查。     

椎间盘封闭术对纤维环破裂型椎间盘源性腰痛的诊治价值

 目的 探讨椎间盘封闭术对纤维环破裂型椎间盘源性腰痛的诊治价值。方法 临床高度怀疑椎间盘源性腰痛行椎间盘造影及单个椎间盘封闭术且有完整随访资料的患者120例,男72例,女48例;年龄25～60岁,平均48岁。根据造影术中纤维环破裂Dallas分级将患者分为0级组7例、1级组36例、2级组48例、3级组29例。采用疼痛视觉模拟评分(visual analogue scale,VAS)及罗兰莫里斯功能评分表(Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire,RMDQ)对术前及术后2周、2个月、6个月、12个月及24个月的疗效进行评估。结果 对高度怀疑的“责任椎间盘”进行封闭阻滞后患者腰痛症状明显改善,术后疼痛VAS和RMDQ评分与术前比较差异有统计学意义;Dallas 3级组中期疗效优于Dallas 1级组及2级组,差异有统计学意义;重度纤维环破裂患者(Dallas分级3级)术后各时间点腰痛症状复发率均低于其他各组患者。结论 椎间盘封闭术能有效缓解椎间盘源性腰痛的症状,并有一定的诊断价值,可作为造影术不能复制疼痛病例的补充诊断依据;纤维环破裂型椎间盘源性腰痛患者,特别是重度纤维环破裂患者,接受椎间盘局部封闭术后缓解疼痛的效果确切。     

MRI高信号区与椎间盘造影在椎间盘源性腰痛诊断中的相关性研究

目的 研究腰椎间盘MRI高信号区(HIZ)与椎间盘造影诱发疼痛反应之间的关系,为椎间盘源性下腰痛诊断和治疗提供参考.方法 对37例长期慢性下腰痛、无典型的神经根性症状和体征,且CT证实无椎间盘突出的患者行MRI检查和腰椎间盘造影.分析造影后的X线片和CT片,并结合造影时诱发的疼痛反应,比较其与腰椎间盘MRI高信号区之间的关系.结果 37例患者共行98个腰椎间盘造影,21个椎间盘疼痛反应阳性,其中有HIZ的间盘10个,占47.6%.77个疼痛反应阴性的椎间盘中,有HIZ的间盘29个,占37.6%.纤维环破裂程度分级越高,MRI出现高信号区的比例也越高,说明有高信号区的纤维环破裂程度高,无高信号区的纤维环破裂程度低(P＜0.01);而高信号区与造影疼痛反应阳性之间并无明显一致性(P＞0.05).结论 MRI高信号区在诊断椎间盘源性腰痛中仅为提示性和筛选性的影像学征象,不能替代椎间盘造影的金标准.     

椎间盘源性腰痛的分型

目的 介绍一种新的椎间盘源性腰痛的分型方法 ,以更好地指导临床诊断和治疗.方法通过回顾性分析386例慢性腰痛患者的椎间盘造影术中X线荧光影像和术后CT扫描片,结合术中患者有无一致性疼痛复制反应,将椎间盘源性腰痛进行分型.结果386例腰痛患者共行1056个椎间盘的腰椎间盘造影术,共有192例患者(49.7%)的226个椎间盘(21.4%)出现疼痛复制反应.192例出现疼痛复制反应的患者中,由于纤维环破裂(internal disc disruption,IDD)160例,由于终板破裂(internal end-plate disruption,IED)32例,分别占83.3%和16.7%.应用修正的Dallas CT椎间盘造影分级方法评估IDD患者纤维环放射状撕裂程度,应用术中荧光X线影像结合术后CT扫描评估IED患者终板放射状破裂程度.IDD患者纤维环破裂分级越高,椎间盘造影时一致性疼痛比例越大(r=-0.604,P=0.000).IED患者终板破裂程度越大,椎间盘造影时一致性疼痛比例越大(r=0.683,P=0.000).结论 根据临床研究结果,我们将椎间盘源性腰痛分为两种类型,由IDD引起的腰痛和由IED引起的腰痛.临床上这两种类型的椎间盘源性腰痛都要通过腰椎间盘造影术确诊,诊断过程、放射状撕裂方式和疼痛反应方式完全一致,表明其为一种科学、合理的分型方法.     

Disc deterioration in low-back syndromes. A prospective, multi-center CT/discography study

Disc deterioration and pain provocation in different low-back pain syndromes was studied using computed tomography (CT) discography. Data were prospectively collected for 300 patients (816 discs). Patients were classified by their pre-discography diagnosis of disc herniation (DH), degenerated disc (DD), lumbar syndrome (LS), lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS), or other. The CT/discograms were classified by discographic pain response, the amount of degeneration and annular disruption. Eighty-two percent of DH patients, 80% of DD, 56% of LS, and 59% of LRS patients had both positive discographic pain provocation and moderate or severe disc deterioration. The study indicates that intradiscal pathology plays a major role in nonspecific low-back pain syndromes.     

Cytokine evaluation in individuals with low back pain using discographic lavage

Background contextThe pathophysiology underlying degenerative disc disease and its implication in painful syndromes remain unclear. However, spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can demonstrate changes in disc water content and the annulus; provocative discography purportedly identifies degenerate discs causing serious low back pain; and biochemical assays have identified local inflammatory markers. No study to date has correlated pain on disc injection during discography evaluation with relevant MRI findings and biochemical markers.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to correlate concordant pain on during discography to biochemical markers obtained by disc lavage and MRI findings.Study designThis is a Phase 1 Diagnostic Test Assessment Cohort Study (Sackett and Haynes).Patient sampleThe patient sample included 21 symptomatic patients with suspected discogenic pain and three Phase 1 control subjects.Outcome measuresThe outcome measures included discography pain scores, MRI degenerative grades, and immunoreactivity to various inflammatory cytokine concentrations present in disc lavage samples.MethodsTwenty-one symptomatic patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease and three control subjects underwent discography, MRI, and biochemical analysis of disc lavage fluid. Lumbar MRI was scored for Pfirrmann grading of the lumbar discs, and annular disruption was identified by nuclear disc lavage. Disc lavage samples were analyzed for biochemical markers by high-sensitivity immunoassay.ResultsEighty-three discs from 24 patients were studied: 67 discs from 21 patients with axial back pain (suspected discogenic pain group) and 16 discs from 3 scoliosis patients without back pain (Phase 1 control subjects). Among the biochemical markers surveyed, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) immunoreactivity was most consistently identified in patients with axial back pain. Discs with annular disruption and concordant pain reproduction at a visual analog scale of 7 to 10/10 had greater IFN-γ immunoreactivity than those without this finding (p=.003); however, at least some IFN-γ immunoreactivity was found in all but one disc in the symptomatic group.ConclusionsAmong the potential inflammatory markers tested in this Phase 1 study, IFN-γ immunoreactivity was most commonly elevated in discogram “positive” discs but absent in asymptomatic controls. However, this marker was also frequently elevated in degenerative but “negative” discography discs. From these findings, Phase 2 and Phase 3 validity studies are reasonable to pursue. Phase 4 utility studies may be performed concurrently to assess this method's predictive value in outcome studies.     

腰椎间盘MRI高信号区在诊断椎间盘源性下腰痛中的意义

目的:探讨腰椎间盘MRI高信号区(HIZ)在诊断椎间盘源性下腰痛中的作用。方法:对52例经保守治疗无效、CT影像上无腰椎间盘突出的下腰痛患者行腰椎MRI检查和腰椎间盘造影术,分析腰椎间盘MRI高信号区与腰椎间盘造影诱发的下腰痛之间的关系。结果:在行腰椎间盘造影的142个椎间盘中,共有38个椎间盘呈现疼痛复制反应,其中17个椎间盘显示高信号区。这17个有高信号区的椎间盘在椎间盘造影过程中全部呈现2～3级的纤维环破裂和疼痛复制反应。结论:无椎间盘突出的下腰痛患者在腰椎MRI上存在椎间盘内高信号区,可表明该椎间盘是产生腰痛的破裂椎间盘。     

Comparison between pain at discography and morphological disc changes at axial loaded MRI in patients with low back pain

Purpose

Discogenic pain is induced by axial load, but there are no studies evaluating the influence of dynamic MRI in relation to provoked pain at discography. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between discography-induced pain and morphological disc changes, occurring during axial loaded MRI (alMRI). A secondary aim was to compare and register the frequency of provoked concordant pain at alMRI and discography.

Methods

41 patients with assumed discogenic pain were investigated with MRI, alMRI and pressure-controlled discography (PCD) (119 discs). Provoked pain at both discography and alMRI was classified as concordant or discordant with daily pain as reference. A concordant discogram required pain intensity ≥5/10 (numerical rating scale) at ≤50 psi and one negative control disc. A concordant provocation at alMRI required pain intensity ≥5/10. The relationship between concordant pain at discography and morphological disc measures (degeneration, height, bulge, angle, area, and circumference) at MRI/alMRI was investigated.

Results

Changes in the morphological appearance occurred in at least one disc level in all patients when loaded and unloaded MRI were compared. However, no significant differences between concordant and discordant discograms in terms of morphological disc features at conventional MRI or alMRI were found. 78 % of the patients reported concordant provoked pain during the alMRI.

Conclusions

In the majority of patients with low back pain, discography as well as alMRI provoked concordant pain. Loading of the spine, alMRI, revealed however no clinically useful morphological characteristics in the discs with concordant discograms. Alternative or more sensitive diagnostic methods are needed to understand load-induced discogenic pain.     

False-positive findings on lumbar discography. Reliability of subjective concordance assessment during provocative disc injection

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental disc injections in subjects with no history of low back symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To determine in an experimental model the reliability of patients' subjective interpretation of pain concordancy during provocative disc injection. BACKGROUND: Discography in the evaluation of low back pain relies on a patient's subjective assessment of pain magnitude and quality during disc injection. Reproduction of significant pain on disc injection, which is similar to patients' usual pain, is believed to prove that the disc injected is the source of the patient's low back pain. In the current study, this hypothesis was tested in a controlled setting on patients with known nonspinal pain in a common referral area of discogenic pain. METHODS: Patients with no history of low back pain were recruited to participate in a study of discography. Patients scheduled to undergo posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting for nonthoracolumbar procedures were evaluated with lumbar radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and psychometric testing. Two to 4 months after bone graft harvesting, patients underwent lumbar discography by strict blinded protocol. Patients were asked to compare the sensations elicited at discography to their usual back/buttock pain since bone graft harvesting. Pain was rated as 0-5 on a pain thermometer and concordancy was rated as none, dissimilar, similar, or exact. RESULTS: Eight subjects completed the study, and 24 discs were injected. Of the 14 disc injections causing some pain response, 5 were believed to be "different" (nonconcordant) pains (35.7%); 7 were "similar" (50.0%), and 2 were "exact" pain reproductions (14.3%). The presence of anular disruption predicted concordant pain reproduction (P < 0.05). Of 10 discs with anular tears, injection of 5 elicited pain that was similar to or an exact reproduction of pain at the iliac crest bone graft harvest sites. By the usual criteria for positive discography, 4 of the 8 patients (50%) would have been classified as positive. In these patients, the pain on a single disc injection was very painful, and the pain quality was noted to be exact or similar to the usual discomfort. All subjects had a negative control disc. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrate that patients with no history of low back pain who had undergone posterior iliac bone graft harvesting for nonlumbar procedures often experienced a concordant painful sensation on lumbar discography with their usual gluteal area pain. Thus, the ability of a patient to separate spinal from nonspinal sources of pain on discography is questioned, and a response of concordant pain on discography may be less meaningful than often assumed.     

Does provocative discography screening of discogenic back pain improve surgical outcome?

The value of preoperative provocative discography in the setting of discogenic low back pain was investigated by evaluating surgical outcomes. Seventy-three consecutive patients who underwent posterolateral interbody and posterior spinal arthrodesis for discogenic low back pain refractory to nonoperative management were reviewed. Chronologically, the first 41 patients (group A) were indicated without discography, whereas the remaining 32 (group B) had been indicated only if their pain had been reproduced during disc injection. The two groups were similar in demographic, psychometric, and radiologic parameters. Average follow-up time in group A was 2.8 years and in group B it was 2.4 years, both with a 2-year minimum. Using modified Oswestry scoring, group A and group B patients had satisfactory outcomes of 75.6% and 81.2%, respectively. This difference was neither statistically significant nor suggestive. In this study, provocative discography screening did not improve surgical outcomes after circumferential fusion for lumbar discogenic back pain.     

The neuroradiographic diagnosis of lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus: I. A comparison of computed tomography (CT), myelography, CT-myelography, discography, and CT-discography

The accuracy of five imaging modalities for the diagnosis of lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) is compared prospectively in 124 patients, all of whom underwent surgical exploration. All tests were read independently of each other and the level of confidence in each diagnosis was recorded. The results are based on negative (106) as well as positive (125) findings at the 231 disc sites (level and side) explored. Computed tomography-discography (disco-CT) was the most accurate test (87%) compared to 77% for CT-myelography (myelo-CT), 74% for CT, 70% for myelography, 64% for disc injection pain, and 58% for discography. The false positive rate was lower for disco-CT (19%) than for myelo-CT (24%), CT (24%), and myelography (30%). The false negative rate was also lower for disco-CT (8%) than for myelo-CT (22%), CT (29%), and myelography (30%). Disco-CT was the most accurate test (94%) in patients who had prior disc surgery compared with 81% for myelo-CT, 80% for CT, and 74% for myelography. Disco-CT was also the most accurate test for patients with foraminal HNP (91% compared with 71% for CT, 65% for myelo-CT, and 58% for myelography). Disc injection reproduced the patient's clinical pain pattern in only 36% of herniated discs. This test has high specificity (89%), but low sensitivity (43%). The risks from myelography followed by discography within a 72-hour period are similar to those reported for myelography alone. Disco-CT is the most accurate of these tests (P less than 0.05) for the diagnosis of lumbar HNP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Delayed pain response after lumbar discography

Summary The delayed onset of symptomatic pain following lumbar discography (with no immediate pain response) is described in six patients, five with a minimum 2-year follow-up. It is usually seen in patients with nearly normal disc morphology who have incomplete or discrete annular tears that are not filled at the time of injection. Later (2–12 h in this study), dye leakage occurs through these lesions, thereby precipitating the discogenic pain This phenomenon may be missed and is probably more common than previously believed due to early discharge from the hospital, the patient expecting discomfort after the invasive study (hence no complaint is made), and the clinician being unaware of this delayed symptom, thereby not asking about it in follow-up. Close patient questioning regarding a delayed onset of symptomatic pain after discography is, therefore, an essential element in diagnostic information following this study.     

Vertebral end-plate (Modic) changes on lumbar spine MRI: correlation with pain reproduction at lumbar discography

The vertebral end-plate has been identified as a possible source of discogenic low back pain. MRI demonstrates end-plate (Modic) changes in 20–50% of patients with low back pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Modic changes on MRI and discogenic back pain on lumbar discography. The MRI studies and discograms of 58 patients with a clinical diagnosis of discogenic back pain were reviewed and the presence of a Modic change was correlated with pain reproduction at 152 disc levels. Twenty-three discs with adjacent Modic changes were injected, 21 of which were associated with pain reproduction. However, pain was also reproduced at 69 levels where no Modic change was seen. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for a Modic change as a marker of a painful disc were 23.3%, 96.8%, 91.3% and 46.5% respectively. Modic changes, therefore, appear to be a relatively specific but insensitive sign of a painful lumbar disc in patients with discogenic low back pain. Received: 24 October 1997 Revised: 11 March 1998 Accepted: 21 April 1998     

应用椎间盘造影判断腰椎间盘突出症腰痛的来源

[目的]应用椎间盘造影术探讨腰椎间盘突出症患者临床腰痛来源.[方法]137例椎间盘突出症患者根据造影术前MRI表现将椎间盘分为:正常、突出和退变.患者腰痛和腿痛的严重程度应用疼痛视觉模拟评分(VAS评分)判定,分为三组:(1)腰痛为主组;(2)腿痛为主组;(3)腰腿痛并重组.对所有退变的腰椎间盘及至少1个作对照的正常椎间盘进行椎间盘造影检查,如造影过程中诱发一致性腰痛,即认为椎间盘造影阳性.[结果]137例患者总共427个椎间盘行造影检查,其中104个造影阳性.椎间盘造影阳性患者腰痛与腿痛VAS评分无明显差异(P＞0.05),而阴性者腿痛评分高于腰痛评分(P＜0.05).腰痛为主组,腿痛为主组,腰腿痛并重组其造影阳性率分别为79.2%,18.6%,71. 7%.MRI表现为正常、突出和退变的椎间盘其造影阳性率分别是1.4%、48.3%、21.6%(P＜0.05).[结论]盘源性腰痛可能是腰痛明显的椎间盘突出症患者腰痛的主要原因,这种腰痛主要来源于椎间盘突出节段和或邻近退变节段.     

椎间盘造影阴性在椎间盘源性腰痛诊断中的分析评价

[目的]通过对一组有典型椎间盘源性下腰痛症状和影像学表现但椎间盘造影阴性的患者进行前瞻性分析,观察椎间盘造影阴性是否能完全排除椎间盘源性下腰痛的诊断.[方法] 2008年6月～2011年2月连续诊治的具有典型椎间盘源性疼痛症状和影像学表现(Dallas V型)但椎间盘造影阴性的一组患者共59例,其中男16例,女43例;年龄36～ 51岁,平均43.8岁;病史6个月～4年,平均1.8年.将59例患者随机分为两组,实验组(29例)于造影剂注射完后于椎间隙再给予注射利多卡因10 mg和地塞米松2.5 mg的混悬液,对照组(30例)则不注射药物并结束造影.两组患者于椎间盘造影术术前、术中、术后行VAS及ODI评分并观察结果.[结果]实验组术后2周内可见VAS评分下降,与对照组相比有统计学意义(P＜0.01),术后第3周随访时两组间VAS评分无明显差别(P＞0.05).实验组中18例VAS评分下降的患者在术后第1、4、8周时进行VAS评分及ODI评分时均较术前明显改善(P＜0.01),在第12周随访时总体上VAS评分及ODI评分与术前比较无明显差别(P＞0.05),对照组患者VAS评分及ODI评分与术前比较均无明显差别(P＞0.05).[结论]本研究结果表明椎间盘造影阴性,但同时合并典型的症状和影像学表现时,并不能完全排除椎间盘源性疼痛的诊断.     

化学性神经根炎

目的研究分析疼痛椎间盘的纤维环破裂与患者下肢放射痛的关系,进而探讨是否存在化学性神经根炎这一临床病理现象.方法临床收集42例单节段椎间盘源性下腰痛伴单侧或双侧下肢放射痛患者,男27例,女15例;年龄19～52岁,平均34.9岁;症状持续至少6个月,平均3年4个月.通过椎间盘造影和其后的CT扫描,分析纤维环撕裂方向与下肢放射痛侧别的关系;行肌电图和运动神经传导速度检查,分析有无神经根损伤,以及其与下肢放射痛的关系.结果腰椎间盘造影时,所有患者显示单水平纤维环破裂且呈现一致性疼痛复制反应,纤维环撕裂方向与下肢放射痛的侧别有显著的正相关性.42例肌电图检查提示神经根损害者32例（76%）.23例单侧下肢放射痛者中17例（74%）存在神经根损害,均为同侧;19例双侧下肢放射痛者中有15例（79%）存在神经根损害.症状侧腓总神经和胫神经运动传导速度较正常侧减慢,差异有统计学意义.结论疼痛椎间盘产生的炎性化学物质通过纤维环全层撕裂漏出并作用于相邻神经根引起神经根损害,可能是化学性神经根炎产生的基本病理生理学机制.