Lumbar discography has generally proven to be a safe diagnostic tool for the evaluation and potential treatment planning of presumed discogenic pain, but it has not been wholeheartedly embraced by the radiologic and surgical community because of doubts as to its safety, accuracy, and relevance to patient outcome. There have been some conflicting reports on the relative merits and limitations of the procedure in the diagnosis and treatment planning of low back pain and radiculopathy; further studies are needed to determine with certainty whether discography is in fact able to localize the precise discs of clinical significance and accurately predict those patients who will respond well to surgery and those who will not.
