Abstract
To the Editor.— Holt's diatribe against cervical discography merits reply because of its inaccuracy, false premises, and conclusions. Discography a la Holt with a 22-gauge needle is not the same as discography with a 25- or 26-gauge needle; the larger needle could indeed damage the disks of the cervical region and permit enough contrast material to be pushed in with such force as to break through fissures, especially those that form laterally in virtually all disks in the neck. The finer-gauge needle does not permit such forceful injections. Hence, it is clear that Holt is not doing the same procedure that we and many other neurosurgeons perform. Logically, he says, discographers should revert to physiological saline for injection; however, he is wrong when he says that none has. We have, for instance, carried out more than 200 saline disk infusions in more than 80 patients in the past three years,
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