Doctors Information > TransDiscal™ System

Patient Indication

Inclusion Criteria

Patients must meet all of the inclusion criteria:


  • Criteria for discogenic pain satisfied, viz

    • > Predominant axial / mechanical pain

    > Demonstration of positive concordant pain of intensity > 6/10 during provocative lumbar discography at 1 or 2 disc levels at low pressures (<50 psi) with negative control disc at one and preferably two adjacent levels and sham pressurization

    > Physical examination

  • Chronic pain (> 6 months)
  • Age greater than 18 years
  • At least 50% preserved disc height
  • Failure to achieve adequate improvement with comprehensive non-operative treatment including: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and fluoroscopically guided epidural steroid injection in and around the area of pathology.
  • Other possible causes of low back pain have been ruled out e.g. failure to obtain prolonged improvement (> 14 days) from facet injections, sacroiliac joint injections or RF rhizotomies.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will be excluded if they meet any of the following criteria:


  • Neurological deficit
  • Intervertebral disc herniations greater than 4mm.
  • Extruded/sequestered intervertebral disc herniations.
  • Spinal pathology that may impede recovery e.g. spina bifida occulta, spondylolisthesis at the painful segmental level, or scoliosis.
  • Moderate to severe foraminal or central canal stenosis.
  • Pregnancy
  • Existing endplate damage or Schmorl’s nodes.
  • Greater than grade 4 annular tear (Modified Dallas Grading).
  • Systemic infection or localized infection at the anticipated introducer entry site.
  • History of coagulopathy or unexplained bleeding.


Relative Contraindications


  • Body Mass Index greater than 29.9 (obese).
  • Irreversible psychological barriers to recovery.
  • Prior lumbar spine surgery.
  • Radiculopathy
  • Immunosuppression (e.g. AIDS, cancer, diabetes, other surgery within last 3 months).