BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between facet tropism and spinal degenerative diseases, such as degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, degenerative lumbar scoliosis, and lumbar disc herniation. METHODS This study retrospectively analysed clinical data from the Department of Orthopaedics at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Ninety-two pat...

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Radiofrequency denervation is commonly used for the treatment of chronic facet joint pain that has been refractory to more conservative treatments, although the evidence supporting this treatment has been controversial. PURPOSE We aimed to elucidate the precise effects of radiofrequency denervation in patients with low back pain originating from the facet joints relative to...

  Abstract   Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction is a widely known but poorly defined   cause of low back pain. To our knowledge, few published studies have been   conducted to evaluate systematically the prevalence and significance of concomitant   sacroiliac joint dysfunction in patients with herniated lumbar discs. As concomitant   SIJ dysfunction in low back pain patients is like...

BACKGROUND Lumbar facet nerve (medial branch) blocks are often used to diagnose facet joint-mediated pain. The authors recently described a new ultrasound-guided methodology. The current study determines its accuracy using computed tomography scan controls. METHODS Fifty bilateral ultrasound-guided approaches to the lumbar facet nerves were performed in five embalmed cadavers. The target poin...

The facet joint, a synovial joint located on the posterior-lateral spine, is highly susceptible to degenerative changes and plays a significant role in back-related morbidities. Despite its significance, the facet is rarely studied and thus current treatment strategies are lacking. This study aimed to characterize, for the first time, the properties of human, pig, monkey, and rabbit lumbar face...

OBJECTIVE Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common degenerative spine disease that requires surgical intervention. Currently, there is interest in minimally invasive surgery and various technical modifications of decompressive lumbar laminectomy without fusion. The purpose of this study was to present the author's surgical technique and results for decompression of spinal stenosis. METHODS The auth...

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 ...

We report 2 cases of successful treatment of neck and back pain with bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the cervical and lumbar facet joints in patients with an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD).Two patients with complex cardiac histories and AICD devices were treated with bipolar RFA of the facet joints. One presented with axial neck pain and the other with axial ba...

Facet joint osteoarthritis is a prominent feature of degenerative spine disorders, highly prevalent in ageing populations, and considered a major cause for chronic lower back pain. Since there is no targeted pharmacological therapy, clinical management of disease includes analgesic or surgical treatment. The specific cellular, molecular, and structural changes underpinning facet joint osteoarth...

BACKGROUND Laminectomy/laminotomy and foraminotomy are well established surgical techniques for treatment of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. However, these procedures have significant limitations, including limited access to lateral and foraminal compression and postoperative instability. The purpose of this cadaver study was to compare bone, ligament, and soft tissue morphology following l...