ABSTRACT Chronic low back pain is a common condition that has significant economic consequences for affected patients and their communities. Despite the prevailing view that an anatomic

diagnosis is often impossible, an origin for the pain can frequently be found if current diagnostic techniques are fully used. Such techniques include a mixture of noninvasive and invasive

imaging. Prevalence data suggest that the intervertebral disc is one of the most common sources of back pain, accounting for around 40% of cases. The pathologic basis for discogenic low back

pain might be full-thickness radial tears of the annulus fibrosus. Unfortunately, only MRI can image the internal morphology of the disc, and both CT and MRI lack the necessary specificity

noninvasive, low-risk technique that can show this connection is desirable. KEY POINTS * The anatomic diagnosis of low back pain is possible in approximately half of the patients with

chronic low back pain * Currently available imaging techniques have diagnostic limitations * The use of both noninvasive and invasive imaging is necessary to diagnose chronic low back pain *

MRI and provocative discography are the most valuable imaging techniques * Discography and joint injections are currently the only means of determining whether abnormal structures are the

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Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS INTRADISCAL QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL EXCHANGE SATURATION TRANSFER MRI SIGNAL CORRELATES WITH DISCOGENIC PAIN IN HUMAN PATIENTS

Article Open access 28 September 2021 MECHANISMS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF INTERVERTEBRAL DISC CALCIFICATION Article 09 May 2022 SPINAL DEGENERATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH LUMBAR MULTIFIDUS

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Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Director of the Perth Pain Management Center, South Perth, Western Australia Philip Finch Authors * Philip

Finch View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Philip Finch. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The

author declares no competing financial interests. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Finch, P. Technology Insight: imaging of low back pain.

_Nat Rev Rheumatol_ 2, 554–561 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncprheum0293 Download citation * Received: 04 January 2006 * Accepted: 24 July 2006 * Issue Date: 01 October 2006 * DOI:

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