The aim of this retrospective practice audit was to assess the correlation between painful zygapophysial joints and changes seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients with unilateral pain were tested with cont...The aim of this retrospective practice audit was to assess the correlation between painful zygapophysial joints and changes seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients with unilateral pain were tested with controlled medial branch blocks. The MRI scans of patients with a positive response were compared blinded with normal MRI scans. The dimensions of the joint were assessed and osteoarthritis was graded. Fifteen symptomatic patients and 15 asymptomatic patients were included and evaluated. Comparison of the joints showed that the maximum diameter of symptomatic joints was significantly larger, and the grading of osteoarthritis was significantly higher for symptomatic joints. No healthy patient was assigned a grade 3. Grades 2 and 3 were found significantly more often in symptomatic patients. Only one symptomatic joint was assigned grade 0. Grade 0 was found significantly more often in asympto-matic patients. The presented MRI technique has limited value as a diagnostic test for lumbar zygapophysial joint pain. It is not possible to detect a single symptomatic joint. However, the osteoarthritis grading for the lumbar zyg-apophysial joints might be helpful for finding predictors for negative response if the results of the rating are grade zero. Therefore, unnecessary medial branch blocks might be avoided.展开更多
Fifteen percent to forty percent of patients present with persistent disabling neck pain or radicular pain after cervical spine surgery. Persistent pain after cervical surgery is called cervical post-surgery syndrome(...Fifteen percent to forty percent of patients present with persistent disabling neck pain or radicular pain after cervical spine surgery. Persistent pain after cervical surgery is called cervical post-surgery syndrome(CPSS). This review investigates the literature about interventional pain therapy for these patients. Because different interventions with different anatomical targets exist, it is important to find the possible pain source. There has to be a distinction between radicular symptoms(radicular pain or radiculopathy) or axial pain(neck pain) and between persistent pain and a new onset of pain after surgery. In the case of radicular symptoms, inadequate decompression or nerve root adherence because of perineural scarring are possible pain causes. Multiple structures in the cervical spine are able to cause neck pain. Hereby, the type of surgery and also the number of segments treated is relevant. After fusion surgery, the so-called adjacent level syndrome is a possible pain source. After arthroplasty, the load of the facet joints in the index segment increases and can cause pain. Further, degenerative alterations progress. In general, two fundamentally different therapeutic approaches for interventional pain therapy for the cervical spine exist: Treatment of facet joint pain with radiofrequency denervation or facet nerve blocks, and epidural injections either via a transforaminal or via an interlaminar approach. The literature about interventions in CPSS is limited to single studies with a small number of patients. However, some evidence exists for these procedures. Interventional pain therapies are eligible as a target-specific therapy option. However, the risk of theses procedures(especially transforaminal epidural injections) must be weighed against the benefit.展开更多
文摘The aim of this retrospective practice audit was to assess the correlation between painful zygapophysial joints and changes seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients with unilateral pain were tested with controlled medial branch blocks. The MRI scans of patients with a positive response were compared blinded with normal MRI scans. The dimensions of the joint were assessed and osteoarthritis was graded. Fifteen symptomatic patients and 15 asymptomatic patients were included and evaluated. Comparison of the joints showed that the maximum diameter of symptomatic joints was significantly larger, and the grading of osteoarthritis was significantly higher for symptomatic joints. No healthy patient was assigned a grade 3. Grades 2 and 3 were found significantly more often in symptomatic patients. Only one symptomatic joint was assigned grade 0. Grade 0 was found significantly more often in asympto-matic patients. The presented MRI technique has limited value as a diagnostic test for lumbar zygapophysial joint pain. It is not possible to detect a single symptomatic joint. However, the osteoarthritis grading for the lumbar zyg-apophysial joints might be helpful for finding predictors for negative response if the results of the rating are grade zero. Therefore, unnecessary medial branch blocks might be avoided.
文摘Fifteen percent to forty percent of patients present with persistent disabling neck pain or radicular pain after cervical spine surgery. Persistent pain after cervical surgery is called cervical post-surgery syndrome(CPSS). This review investigates the literature about interventional pain therapy for these patients. Because different interventions with different anatomical targets exist, it is important to find the possible pain source. There has to be a distinction between radicular symptoms(radicular pain or radiculopathy) or axial pain(neck pain) and between persistent pain and a new onset of pain after surgery. In the case of radicular symptoms, inadequate decompression or nerve root adherence because of perineural scarring are possible pain causes. Multiple structures in the cervical spine are able to cause neck pain. Hereby, the type of surgery and also the number of segments treated is relevant. After fusion surgery, the so-called adjacent level syndrome is a possible pain source. After arthroplasty, the load of the facet joints in the index segment increases and can cause pain. Further, degenerative alterations progress. In general, two fundamentally different therapeutic approaches for interventional pain therapy for the cervical spine exist: Treatment of facet joint pain with radiofrequency denervation or facet nerve blocks, and epidural injections either via a transforaminal or via an interlaminar approach. The literature about interventions in CPSS is limited to single studies with a small number of patients. However, some evidence exists for these procedures. Interventional pain therapies are eligible as a target-specific therapy option. However, the risk of theses procedures(especially transforaminal epidural injections) must be weighed against the benefit.
