The role of myelography and discography in low back pain.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ford LT
• Description:
  The role of myelography and discography in evaluating low back pain was discussed. Myelography was considered. The purpose of a myelogram was to indicate the presence of a space occupying lesion in the spinal cord which may affect the dural sac. It was noted that a myelogram should be not done just to confirm or refute a diagnosis of a ruptured lumbar disc. It should be considered only after conservative measures have failed and surgery is being considered. The limitations of myelography were discussed. A properly performed myelogram had an accuracy of 90 to 95 percent; however, even with well performed myelograms, false positives and false negatives could occur. The technique for properly performing a myelogram was discussed. Discography was considered. The purposes, efficacy, and diagnostic potential of a discogram were discussed. Discography could define a normal nucleus pulposus and, by visualizing deviations from the normal, indicate degeneration. It was noted that even though both discography and myelography can reveal lumbar disc degeneration, the techniques may not determine which disc is responsible for the patient's symptoms. Discography was considered to be the most valuable when it shows a normal nuclear outline, thereby avoiding an unnecessary exploratory laminotomy.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Chemistry Dust Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Preceptorship Safety
• Keywords:
  Back-injuries Clinical-diagnosis Clinical-techniques Contract-210-77-0088 Medical-examinations Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders NIOSH-Contract Spinal-cord Visual-aids
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Conference/Symposia Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Missouri ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  37-40
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00185404
• Citation:
  Occupational safety and health symposia 1977. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 78-169, 1978 Jun; :37-40
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1978
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational safety and health symposia 1977
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d184a1206e335ae0bcf767359c8e59755e8405f7c30519d16899fac555c52fba2095dafbd4637a2982f71c0927572b44a864784b77b8adf7c2f91c1771fea6fa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180223/cdc_180223_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 745.21 KB ]