[fuzzy]

This test seems to be still commonly used but also a little controversial. My surgeon told me I did not need one as the MRI was obvious but there are times when it might help to positively indentify or confirm a bad (pain generating) disk that may not be so obvious on the imaging and thus possibly prevent a incorrect surgery at the wrong level or on a disk that is not a pain generator even though it looks "bad" on an MRI. A negative discogram might hint at possibly other reasons for the back pain.

Another tool in the diagnostics tool chest.

For example a european surgeon requested I do a bone density scan, also a test that here in US I was told there was no reason for me as a younger male to have one unless I had fractures or... Insurance would not pay. I requested that test anyway and it showed weak bones (T -2), a very good thing to know ahead of a spinal surgery.