Abstracts & Literature Review 1

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Significance of Perianular Enhancement Associated With Anular Tears on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Diagnosis of Radiculopathy

Woo Mok Byun, MD, Sang Ho Ahn, MD and Myun-Whan Ahn, MD Spine Volume 33, Number 22, pp 2440–2443 ©2008, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

JACO Editorial Reviewer: Reed Phillips, DC, DACBR

Published: September, 2009
Journal of the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists
September 2009, Volume 6, Issue 3
Received: 1 August May 2009
Accepted: 15 August 2009

The original article copyright belongs to the original publisher. This review is available from: http://www.dcorthoacademy.com © 2009 Reed and the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists. This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

JACO Editorial Summary

• The findings of perianular enhancement on MRI studies of 12 patients, believed to be the result of chemical radiculitis associated with annular tears was tested for further evidence of correlation by performing provocative discography (n=2) or transforaminal epidural injections (n=6).
• Further support for correlation was based on the clinical findings of all twelve cases. While the number of subjects is small on which to establish correlational relationships, the intuitiveness of the relationships is obvious.
• The value of this study to the practicing doctor of chiropractic is to be sensitive to perianular enhancement changes on MRI studies as an indicator that leg pain may be the result of chemical changes associated with disc degeneration as well as or even in place of the usual suspect of mechanical changes.