对于椎间盘退行性疾病没有常规检测。 当患者有非特异性背痛，标准无创性治疗无效时，最好考虑向背部专家咨询。 然而，对于寻求转诊的时限或指证缺乏足够的证据。[179]Airaksinen O, Brox JI, Cedraschi C, et al. Chapter 4. European guidelines for the management of chronic nonspecific low back pain. Eur Spine J. 2006 Mar;15(suppl 2):S192-300.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16550448?tool=bestpractice.com
任何快速进展的症状都应确保得到进一步急诊检查。
通过磁共振成像 (MRI)，能够很好地评估椎间盘病变、神经根压迫、黄韧带增生所致椎管压迫以及关节突关节。应始终谨慎解读这些结果，因为即使存在退行性表现，脊柱磁共振成像本身并不能绝对反映患者的症状。[67]Borenstein DG, O'Mara JW Jr, Boden SD, et al. The value of magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine to predict low-back pain in asymptomatic subjects: a seven-year follow-up study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2001 Sep;83-A(9):1306-11.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11568190?tool=bestpractice.com[69]Jarvik JJ, Hollingworth W, Heagerty P, et al. The Longitudinal Assessment of Imaging and Disability of the Back (LAIDBack) Study: baseline data. Spine. 2001 May 15;26(10):1158-66.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413431?tool=bestpractice.com[70]Jarvik JG, Hollingworth W, Heagerty PJ, et al. Three-year incidence of low back pain in an initially asymptomatic cohort: Clinical and imaging risk factors. Spine. 2005 Jul 1;30(13):1541-8; discussion 1549.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15990670?tool=bestpractice.com[71]Nachemson A. The load on lumbar disks in different positions of the body. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1966 Mar-Apr;45:107-22.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5937361?tool=bestpractice.com
