A new study published in The Spine Journal examines the value of prognostic tests for degenerative disc disease.
The study authors investigated 91 patients who underwent spinal fusion for DDD between 2010 and 2016. The patients had prognostic tests including discography, pantaloons cast test, Modic changes and a summary of physical symptoms to determine the need for surgery. The study authors found:
1. Three prognostic tests were of "no value for predicting outcome scores":
• Discography
• Modic changes
• Loading factor
2. Improved outcomes in back pain severity was associated with a positive pantaloons cast test in patients without prior surgery; the same wasn't true in patients with prior surgery.
3. Factors predicting consistent back pain reduction include female sex and no prior operations at the index level. None of the other sociodemographic factors were predictive of value, according to the study abstract.