"Bony sciatica"--the value of thermography, electromyography, and water-soluble myelography

With an increased interest in sporting activity, particularly among the older population, together with the appreciation of the importance of "bony entrapment" as a cause of sciatica, so the need has arisen to develop a simple, noninvasive, reliable, and reproducible method of determining whether leg pain is of radicular or referred origin. In our experience, liquid crystal thermography has proved unsatisfactory but electromyography appears to be of value in distinguishing root from referred pain in approximately 70 per cent of patients within this group. Our experience with radiculography within this context is also presented and is shown to be currently unsatisfactory.