La tomografía axial computerizada como método diagnóstico en cirugía ortopédica.

45 randomly-chosen clinical histories corresponding to patients subjected to computerized axial tomography exploration during hospitalitation in the Service of Orthopedic Surgery are colected. The most frequently explored anatomical region was the lumbar spine and Iumbosacral space. Twenty-three patients presented intervertebral disc processes-this being the most common diagnosis, particulary in combination with postsurgicalcomplications-. The patients were divided into two groups to analyzed the resoults: the first involved all 45 revised cases, where exploration sensitivity was found to be 100% and precision 93%. The second group only consisted of the intervertebral disc cases, where sensitivity was again found to be 100%, but precision had decreasedto 87%. We recommended the use of this diagnostic method in cases of recurring radicular pain following disc surgery, or when radiculography is not technically feasible or fails to offer definitive data.

45 randomly-chosen clinical histories corresponding to patients subjected to computerized axial tomography exploration during hospitalitation in the Service of Orthopedic Surgery are colected. The most frequently explored anatomical region was the lumbar spine and Iumbosacral space. Twenty-three patients presented intervertebral disc processes-this being the most common diagnosis, particulary in combination with postsurgicalcomplications-. The patients were divided into two groups to analyzed the resoults: the first involved all 45 revised cases, where exploration sensitivity was found to be 100% and precision 93%. The second group only consisted of the intervertebral disc cases, where sensitivity was again found to be 100%, but precision had decreasedto 87%. We recommended the use of this diagnostic method in cases of recurring radicular pain following disc surgery, or when radiculography is not technically feasible or fails to offer definitive data.