Lumber Disc Herniation: Postoperative and Postchemonucleolytic MR Imaging.

Twenty-four patients operated for lumber disc herniation and five patients treated with chymopapain injection were studied to evaluate the effectiveness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in investigating postoperative disc degeneration and disc herniation. After operation in 9 patients compressed dura was present, after chymopapain injection in one patient. After operation in 6 patients the progress of disc degenerati on waspresent. In patients with chemonucleolysis changes of MR findings correlated histological reports, which may show the reconstruction of disc, while postoperative MR findings and clinical findings did not correlate.