BACKGROUND Chronic mid back and upper back pain caused by thoracic facet joints has been reported in 34% to 48% of the patients based on the responses to controlled diagnostic blocks. Systematic reviews have established moderate evidence for controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks of thoracic facet joints in the diagnosis of mid back and upper back pain, moderate evidence for therapeutic...

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective, observational, open label. OBJECTIVE We investigated the efficacy of facet debridement for the treatment of facet joint pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Facet joint disease, often due to degenerative arthritis, is common cause of chronic back pain. In patients that don't respond to conservative measures, nerve ablation may provide significant improvement. Due to ...

While extensive research points to mechanical injury of the cervical facet joint as a mechanism of whiplash injury, findings remain speculative regarding its potential for causing pain. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between facet joint distraction, capsular ligament strain, cellular nociceptive responses, and pain. A novel rat model of in vivo facet joint injury was ...

Study Design A multinational, multiethnic, cross-sectional image-based study was performed in 33 institutions, representing 10 countries, which were part of the AOSpine Asia Pacific Research Collaboration Consortium. Objective Lumbar facet joint orientation has been reported to be associated with the development of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). The role of ethnicity regarding facet joint...

The facet joint is commonly associated with neck and low back pain and is susceptible to loading-induced injury. Although tensile loading of the cervical facet joint has been associated with inflammation and neuronal hyperexcitability, the mechanisms of joint loading-induced pain remain unknown. Altered brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are associated with a host of painful condit...

This case report describes a patient with chronic pain due to piriformis myofascial pain syndrome related to lumbar facet joint lesion. The purpose is to demonstrate the elimination of the underlying etiological lesion by lumbar facet joint injection with steroid suspension for a complete and effective treatment of piriformis myofascial pain syndrome in order to obtain a permanent pain relief. ...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy of ultrasonography (US)-guided injections in patients with low lumbar facet syndrome, compared with that in patients who received fluoroscopy (FS)-guided injections. METHOD Fifty-seven subjects with facet syndrome of the lumbar spine of the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels were randomly divided into two groups to receive intraarticular injections into the facet join...

OBJECTIVES To determine the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pathology and the response to diagnostic facet medial branch block (MBB) and L5 dorsal ramus medial branch block and radiofrequency (RF) denervation of lumbar facet joints. METHODS The medical records of 127 consecutive patients who underwent MBB for suspected zygapophysial joint pain were reviewed. The lumbar sp...

An attempt was made to determine the relative contribution of various structures to chronic low back pain, including facet joint(s), disc(s), and sacroiliac joint(s) in a prospective evaluation. Precision diagnostic blocks, including disc injections, facet joint blocks, and sacroiliac joint injections, are frequently used. In contrast, selective nerve root blocks or transforaminal epidural inje...