Comparison of Intra-articular Thoracic Facet Joint Steroid Injection and Thoracic Medial Branch Block for the Management of Thoracic Facet Joint Pain

Intraoperative Facet Joint Block Reduces Pain After Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) results in less tissue damage than in other surgeries, but immediate postoperative pain occurs. Notably, facet joint widening occurs in the vertebral body after OLIF. We hypothesized that the application of a facet joint block to the area of widening would relieve facet joint pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effects of such injections on postoperative pain.

METHODS

This double-blinded, placebo-controlled study randomized patients into 2 groups. Patients assigned to the active group received an intra-articular injection of a compound mixture of bupivacaine and triamcinolone, whereas patients in the placebo group received an equivalent volume of normal saline solution injection. Back and dominant leg pain were evaluated with use of a visual analog scale (VAS) at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively with use of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and VAS for back and dominant leg pain.

RESULTS

Of the 61 patients who were included, 31 were randomized to the placebo group and 30 were randomized to the active group. Postoperative fentanyl consumption from patient-controlled analgesia was higher in the placebo group than in the active group at up to 36 hours postoperatively (p < 0.001) and decreased gradually in both groups. VAS back pain scores were significantly higher in the placebo group than in the active group at up to 48 hours postoperatively. On average, patients in the active group had a higher satisfaction score (p = 0.038) and were discharged 1.3 days earlier than those in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of an intraoperative facet joint block decreased pain perception during OLIF, thereby reducing opioid consumption and the severity of postoperative pain. This effect was also associated with a reduction in the length of the stay.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Ultrasound-guided procedures for the management of chronic thoracic back pain: a technical review

Pain arising from the thoracic region has been reported to be potentially as debilitating as cervical or lumbar back pain, and may stem from a vast number of spinal sources, including zygapophysial, costovertebral and costotransverse joints, intervertebral discs, ligaments, fascia, muscles, and nerve roots. Over the last two decades, the use of ultrasound in interventional spinal procedures has been rapidly evolving, due to the ultrasound capabilities of visualizing soft tissues, including muscle layers, pleura, nerves, and blood vessels, allowing for real-time needle tracking, while also reducing radiation exposure to both patient and physician, when compared to traditional fluoroscopy guidance. However, its limitations still preclude it from being the imaging modality of choice for some thoracic spinal procedures, notably epidural (interlaminar and transforaminal approaches) and intradiscal injections. In this technical review, we provide an overview of five thoracic spinal injections that are amenable to ultrasound guidance. We start by discussing their clinical utility, followed by the relevant topographic anatomy, and then provide an illustrated technical description of each of the procedures discussed: (1) erector spinae plane block; (2) intra-articular thoracic zygapophyseal (facet) joint injection; (3) thoracic medial branch block; (4) costotransverse joint injection; and (5) costovertebral joint injection.

Spinal Injections: A Narrative Review from a Surgeon's Perspective

Spinal pain is one of most frequent complaints of the general population, which can cause decreased activities of daily living and absence from work. Among numerous therapeutic methods, spinal injection is one of the most effective treatments for spinal pain and is currently widely applied in the clinical field. In this review, spinal injection is discussed from a surgeon's perspective. Recently, although the number of spinal surgeries has been increasing, questions are arising as to whether they are necessary. The failure rate after spinal surgery is high, and its long-term outcome was reported to be similar to spinal injection. Thus, spinal surgeries should be performed conservatively. Spinal injection is largely divided into diagnostic and therapeutic blocks. Using diagnostic blocks, such as the diagnostic selective nerve root block, disc stimulation test, and diagnostic medial branch block (MBB), the precise location causing the pain can be confirmed. For therapeutic blocks, transforaminal nerve root injection, therapeutic MBB, and percutaneous epidural neuroplasty are used. When unbearable spinal pain persists despite therapeutic spinal injections, spinal surgeries can be considered. Spinal injection is usefully used to identify the precise location prior to a patient undergoing injection treatment or surgery and can reduce pain and improve quality of life, and help to avoid spinal surgery. Pain physicians should treat patients with spinal pain by properly utilizing spinal injection.

Ultrasound-guided interventions for controlling the thoracic spine and chest wall pain: a narrative review

Ultrasound-guided injection is useful for managing thoracic spine and chest wall pain. With ultrasound, pain physicians perform the injection with real-time viewing of major structures, such as the pleura, vasculature, and nerves. Therefore, the ultrasound-guided injection procedure not only prevents procedure-related adverse events but also increases the accuracy of the procedure. Here, ultrasound-guided interventions that could be applied for thoracic spine and chest wall pain were described. We presented ultrasound-guided thoracic facet joint and costotransverse joint injections and thoracic paravertebral, intercostal nerve, erector spinae plane, and pectoralis and serratus plane blocks. The indication, anatomy, Sonoanatomy, and technique for each procedure were also described. We believe that our article is helpful for clinicians to conduct ultrasound-guided injections for controlling thoracic spine and chest wall pain precisely and safely.

Facet joint syndrome treated with interventional procedures: a review article with an update on the current evidence and practice

Background:

Facet Joint Syndrome (FJS) is a common progressive disease affecting small joints of the spine and can have painful symptoms. When conservative treatment measures fail, there are a wide range of interventional procedures that can be used. Varied results have been obtained with different procedures, and standardized indications and guidelines are unclear. The authors aimed to review the most current evidence on indications, utilization of interventional procedures, results, and complication risks for the treatment of FJS.

Methods:

Customized structured electronic searches were performed in PubMed and Cochrane databases. Meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials (RCT), and systematic reviews on FJS treated with interventional minimally invasive procedures published from 1st of January 2015 to 29th of February 2020 were included. We initially selected 320 studies, and 25 studies (two meta-analyses, six systematic reviews, and 17 RCT) were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results:

A certain amount of improvement of pain was reported in 100% of the patients, with no significant complications reported. Most studies showed efficacy of all interventional procedures at all levels of evidence, without providing definitive data on indications and superiority of one procedure over others.

Conclusions:

The authors suggest a standardized stepladder approach to the management of FJS, with conservative measures initially and interventional procedures if those measures fail. All procedures were reported to be safe and efficient when clinically indicated and properly performed. Further studies with appropriate methodology are needed.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV.