Cervical discography complications and clinical efficacy.

To determine the incidence and magnitude of complications of cervical discography as well as to assess the clinical results of operative treatment based on discographic findings, a series of 31 patients who underwent cervical discography was reviewed. Twenty-six patients (84%) experienced provocative concordant symptomatology and were considered positive. The overall complication rate was 13% (4/31), including the development of an acute epidural abscess that led to myelopathy and eventual quadriplegia. Of the twenty-two patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion on the basis of cervical discography, one patient had an excellent result (5%), nine patients had good results (41%), and six patients each had fair and poor results (54%). Diagnostic cervical discography was found not to provide the degree of clinical predictive value necessary to substantiate its potential risks and complications.