Discography | Interventional Spine
Discography
The right treatment starts with the right diagnosis
Discography is a diagnostic procedure that helps determine which disc is causing your back pain. By injecting dye into one or more discs, the doctor can detect structural damage and see if a disc has begun to rupture. Discography typically takes about 30-60 minutes to perform.1
During that time, you’ll be awake but sedated. Your doctor will ask questions about the intensity, type and location of the pressure, and your answers will help determine your diagnosis and appropriate treatment option moving forward.1
Overview of discography1,2
- Images the structural integrity of the disc
- Provides real-time information for detailed diagnostics
- Aids in treatment planning
- Performed on an outpatient basis
Diagnostic accuracy studies show evidence that discography is a useful tool for imaging disc morphology missed by MRI and other tests.3
How it works
Under x-ray guidance, a thin guide needle is inserted into one or more discs. The discs are then pressurized one at a time with contrast dye to outline any damaged areas. Your doctor will ask if you feel pressure or pain. If you feel pain, your doctor will ask how it compares to your usual pain. By asking questions about the intensity, type, and location of the pressure, your doctor can determine your diagnosis and appropriate treatment options.4
Tired of living in pain?
Let's find a doctor who can help.
Thank you!
Resources
Potential risks of the procedure
Risks of the discography procedure include the following:5 Increased pain, nausea or headache, discitis (infection of the discs between the vertebra of the spine), bleeding, seizures, injury to the spinal cord or nerve roots, and pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
Please consult with your doctor for the full list of possible side effects related to the discography procedure.
The information presented is for educational purposes only. Stryker is not dispensing medical advice. Please speak to your doctor to decide what course of treatment is right for you. Only your doctor can make the medical judgment regarding which products and treatment is right for you. Any medical procedure carries certain risks and your doctor will explain all possible complications and/or side effects. Not all patients will experience the same results.
Stryker or its affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: AutoPlex, Dekompressor, Discmonitor, iVAS, mild, MultiGen, OmniCurve, OptaBlate, PCD, SpinePlex, SpineJack, Stryker, Venom, VertaPlex, VertaPlex HV, Verteport, and Verteport X4 Manifold. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.
- Mayo Clinic. (2025). Discogram. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/discogram/about/pac-20393818. [Accessed on: April 16, 2025].
- Radiologyinfo.org. (2024). Discography (Discogram). Retrieved from: https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/discography#:~:text=Discography%20uses%20imaging%20guidance%20to,the%20vertebrae%20of%20the%20spine.. [Accessed on: April 16, 2025].
- Buenaventura RM, Shah RV, Patel V, Benyamin R, Singh V. Systematic review of discography as a diagnostic test for spinal pain: an update. Pain Physician 2007 Jan;10(1):147-64.
- Shalen P. (2000 October 5). Lumbar discogram procedure. Retrieved from: https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/diagnostic-tests/lumbar-discogram-procedure
- Deer T, Leong M, Buvanendran A, Gordin V, Kim P, Panchal S, & Ray A (Eds.). (2013). Comprehensive treatment of chronic pain by medical, interventional, and integrative approaches (p.473-474). Springer, New York. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4614-1560-2
IVS-GSNPS-MICRO-1695053_REV-0