Lumbar disc disease
In symptomatic cases the diagnosis should be confirmed by an MRI scan. However, in cases with slight symptoms, a faster and cheaper CT scan (although it is inferior to MRI scan) may be recommended. While a CT scan can show the bony structures in more detail, an MRI scan can better portray soft tissue.
Optical coherence elastography
Requiring no injections, OCE is an non-invasive imaging method can gives more details than ultrasound or MRI. Using light source to image biological tissue, OCE is considered generally safe compared to CT scan and other radiographic imaging modalities which involve with ionizing radiation. And it is also more affordable and time efficient compared to MRI. However, OCE can also cause tissue damage in some handling. For example, surface acoustic wave OCE can cause to a tissue is primarily concentrated on temperature effects. In the focus point, the temperature of the tissue will rise locally. Therefore, it is necessary to take this into account in certain circumstances.