Positive Predictive Values of Lumbar Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings for Provocative Discography.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for a painful disc using provocative discography.

Materials And Methods: Lumbar spine discography records and prediscography MRIs of 736 patients (2457 discs) who underwent discography for diagnostic purposes from 2003 to 2007 were retrospectively reviewed in an Institutional Review Board-exempt and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant protocol. Each level was identified as having high-intensity zone (HIZ) disc, disc protrusion, disc extrusion, or combination (any herniation type), disc bulge, disc degeneration, and spondylolisthesis.

Modic changes on MR images as studied with provocative diskography: clinical relevance--a retrospective study of 2457 disks.

Purpose: To assess the value of vertebral body endplate signal intensity (Modic) changes on magnetic resonance (MR) images in predicting a painful disk, with provocative diskography as the reference standard.

Materials And Methods: Lumbar spine diskograms and prediskogram MR images of 736 patients (2457 disks) were retrospectively reviewed as part of an institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant protocol. Each disk was assigned a Modic subtype: type 0, normal; type 1, nonfatty high signal intensity; type 2, fatty; and type 3, sclerosis.