RESUMEN
Objective To compare MRI wi th CT discography (CTD) for diagnostic assessment of lumbar disc disruption. Methods Paired comparative examination in 16 patients with ch ronic lower back pain without radicular pain and no disc herniation was conducte d using CT or MRI. The standard of CTD classification and positive disc was for mulated and the correlation between the induced lower back pain and dosage used in CTD was observed. Results For a total of 21 discs in the 16 patients, CTD showed the disc as type 2 in 12 discs and type 5 in 1 disc with 13 positive discs, while MRI only showed the high-intensity zone of poster ior annulus in 6 discs as the indirect sign of disc disruption and disc degenera tion in 7 discs. Conclusion CTD was the only method for showing the direct sign of disc disruption. The induced lower back pain was rel ated with the type of disc disruption. MRI can show some of the indirect signs of disc disruption and CTD can show the direct sign of disc disruption.