Lumbar Intervertebral Disk Disease

Acute or chronic trauma is usually the precipitating factor in disk lesions. Patients may have back pain or leg pain, or both. In diagnosis a complete neurologic examination should be done, with particular attention to the back and lower extremities. The lumbosacral spine should be x-rayed in all cases; myelography may confirm the diagnosis in 70 to 80 per cent of cases.Progressive neurologic deficit and persistent, disabling pain are indications for surgery. If a patient does not demonstrate weakness, atrophy or sphincter involvement, he should be treated conservatively.