The Relationship of the Discographic Finding to the Chemonucleolysis Results

ABSTRACT

The authors analysed the relationship of the discographic finding to the chemonucleolysis results of herniated lumbar disc during May 1984 to January 1987. Among 900 herniated lumbar disc cases, 882 patients were treated with the chymopapain injections. Overall success rate was 87.2%. Discographic findings were devided in five typesI) contained, II) degenerative, III) annular bugling, IV) subligamentous leak, and V) epidural leak type. In 546 one level chemenucleolysis cases the successful rates were different in the discogram types as followingstype V 92.9%, type III 89.1%, type IV 87.5%, type II 85.0% and type I 62.5%. The discography is considered to be useful not only in predicting the chemonucleolysis result, but also in determination of chymopapain injection or not.