Painful lumbosacral sensory distribution patterns: embryogenesis to adulthood.

When the dorsal root ganglion is irritated by any of a variety of mechanisms, pain is referred to the various structures innervated by that root. In many circumstances, this pain is specific and may be used as a diagnostic aid. Unfortunately, emphasis is placed on defining a dermatomal distribution; the existence of a myotomal or sclerotomal origin of referred pain is often overlooked. This review presents the embryologic, anatomic, and neurophysiologic etiology of referred pain from the lumbar spine.

Intradiscal steroids. A prospective double-blind clinical trial.

A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of intradiscal steroid injections. Criteria for entrance were one-level internal disc disruption or nonsequestered nuclear prolapse with or without sciatica and a positive pain response on awake discography. Exclusion criteria were multilevel disease, central or lateral stenosis, prior lumbar surgery, or medical disease requiring systemic steroids. A total of 25 patients were randomly assigned to Treatment Group A (methylprednisolone, Depo-Medrol 80 mg/ml, The Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Michigan) or Treatment Group B (bupivacaine, Marcaine .5% 1.5 ml, Sanofi Winthrop Pharmaceuticals, New York, New York). Fourteen patients received Depo-Medrol, with 21% showing subjective improvement and 79% no improvement; 0% were clinically worse. Eleven patients received intradiscal Marcaine, with 9% showing clinical improvement and 91% no improvement; 0% were clinically worse. To quantify clinical response, a pain diagram grid score, a visual analog scale, and the Oswestry Pain Questionnaire were used before injection and 10-14 days after injection. No statistically significant benefit was identified in the use of intradiscal steroids.

Awake discography. A comparison study with magnetic resonance imaging.

This study was undertaken to determine the correlation between awake discography findings and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of symptomatic lumbar disc disease. The study included 164 consecutive patients who underwent evaluation with discography and magnetic resonance imaging for lumbar disc disease from August 1987 to September 1989. Chronic low-back pain, with or without radicular symptoms, was the presenting complaint in each case. Each patient had previously failed conservative treatment. The average age was 36 (range, 19-66 years). Magnetic resonance images were performed before discography in each case. Discography was performed with patients minimally sedated and under local anesthesia. A lateral approach was used. Magnetic resonance imaging and discography correlated in 90 cases (55%) and differed in 74 (45%). Considering disc levels, discography and magnetic resonance imaging correlated in 371 discs (80%). There were 172 normal discs and 199 abnormal discs. Of the abnormal discs, 151 (76%) reproduced symptoms. In 60 discs (13%), magnetic resonance images showed abnormal findings and the discogram normal findings. Discs levels classified as abnormal on magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that 108 discs (37%) were asymptomatic. Magnetic resonance imaging showed normal findings and the discogram abnormal findings in 34 discs (7%), of which 21 (5%) recreated exact symptoms and 13 (2%) caused no pain. Magnetic resonance imaging is a static test and discography the only available dynamic test for disc evaluation. Awake discography is a diagnostic study that can determine which abnormal discs are symptomatic via the pain response.