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Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2020 Jun 29:954411920934956. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Laboratoire des Énergies Renouvelables et Matériaux Avancés, Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR), Rocade de Rabat-Salé, Morocco.

Hybrid stabilization is widely performed for the surgical treatment of degenerative disk diseases. Pedicle-based hybrid stabilization intends to reduce fusion-associated drawbacks of adjacent segment degeneration, construct failure, and pseudoarthrosis. Recently, many types of pedicle-based hybrid stabilization systems have been developed and optimized, using polymeric devices as an adjunct for lumbar fusion procedures. Read More

HSS J 2020 Jul 20;16(2):143-154. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Clinica Ortopedica, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, GE Italy.

Background: In the past decade, lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) has gained in popularity. A proposed advantage is the achievement of indirect neural decompression. However, evidence of the effectiveness of LLIF in neural decompression in lumbar degenerative conditions remains unclear. Read More

J Orthop Surg Res 2020 May 24;15(1):185. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 5, Longbin Road, Dalian, 116600, People's Republic of China.

Background: Facet orientation (FO) and facet tropism (FT) are two important structural parameters of lumbar facet joint. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between facet joint parameters and chronic low back pain (LBP).

Methods: From June 2017 to January 2019, a total of 542 cases were enrolled in this study. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2020 May 20. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.

Background: Advances in operative techniques and minimally invasive technologies have evolved to maximize patient outcomes and radiographic results, while reducing morbidity and recovery time.

Objective: To describe the operative technique for a transfacet minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) as a proposed modification to the standard approach MIS-TLIF.

Methods: We present the case of a 72-yr-old man with left-sided lumbar radiculopathy. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2020 Jul 7;77:36-40. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Orthopaedics, Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, PR China.

Recurrent lumbar disc herniation (rLDH) is one of the major problems when surgically treating patients with LDH. Data on previous studies investigated the associations between facet joint parameters and rLDH appear only rarely in the literature. This study's objective was to evaluate the association between facet joint parameters [facet orientation (FO) and facet tropism (FT)] and rLDH. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 Apr 28. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, P. R. China. Electronic address:

Objective: To investigate the incidence of superior facet joint violation (FJV) during percutaneous pedicle screw placement in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, and assess the possible risk factors for FJV.

Methods: An analysis of 91 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases treated with percutaneous pedicle screw placement via minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion from 2012 to 2018 was performed. Superior FJV was evaluated and graded by 3-dimensional lumbar computed tomography reconstruction. Read More

Curr Pain Headache Rep 2020 Apr 22;24(6):23. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Anesthesiology Department, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, B6/319 CSC, Madison, WI, 53792-3272, USA.

Purpose Of Review: We performed this study and associated review to examine whether a one prognostic block is sufficient to proceed with radiofrequency ablation.

Recent Findings: To perform one or two prognostic blocks before performing radiofrequency ablation is a very controversial issue. The practice is inconsistent and insurance companies even do not follow same regulations. Read More

Rozhl Chir 2020 ;99(1):46-50

Introduction: Chronic back pain (CBP) is a very common symptom. Multiple modalities are used in its evaluation. However, according to current evidence, none of them can be used with certainty to predict the success of fusion surgery. Read More

Turk Neurosurg 2020 ;30(3):416-421

Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosurgery Department, Samsun, Turkey.

Aim: To evaluate the factors affecting the clinical and radiological findings of juxtafacet cyst patients.

Material And Methods: Between January 2011 and December 2018, eight patients diagnosed with juxtafacet cyst were reviewed, retrospectively. Patient demographics; signs and symptoms; and neurological examination, radiological, and surgical findings were noted. Read More

Agri 2020 Jan;32(1):31-37

Department of Anesthesia, Şehitkamil State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.

Objectives: Lumbar facet (zygapophysial) arthropathy is a common cause of chronic lower back pain, and percutaneous radiofrequency denervation of the facet joints appears to be an effective treatment that yields long-term improvement. A technique utilising a distal approach to place the needle parallel to the medial branch has recently come into common use. In the present study, a technique incorporating a distal approach and an A-P fluoroscopic view was investigated. Read More

Clin Spine Surg 2020 Feb;33(1):20-23

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, PA.

Lumbar radiofrequency ablation is indicated for the treatment of chronic axial low back pain that is mediated by facet arthropathy which has failed more conservative treatment options. This article details proper equipment and medications, patient positioning and setup, step-by-step instructions for multiplanar fluoroscopic visualization, cannula placement, and postoperative management. Pearls and pitfalls are also discussed. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2019 Dec 27:1-6. Epub 2019 Dec 27.

2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo.

Objective: Lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA), both of which are age-related degenerative diseases, are independently correlated with increased pain and dysfunction of the lower extremities. However, there have been few studies that investigated whether LSS patients with KOA exhibit poor clinical recovery following lumbar spinal surgery. The aim of this study was to elucidate the surgical outcomes of lumbar spinal surgery for LSS patients with KOA using multiple health-related quality of life (HRQOL) parameters. Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2019 ;119(11):27-31

Irkutsk State Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Irkutsk, Russia.

Aim: To analyze clinical results of the surgical treatment of patients with isolated facet-syndrome of the lumbar spine using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for arcuate spine joints.

Material And Methods: The study included 49 patients, aged 39.5 (34; 45), who, after provocative tests, were diagnosed with isolated facet syndrome and operated on from 2015 to 2018 using PRP therapy. Read More

J Arthroplasty 2020 Apr 22;35(4):1036-1041. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Division of Adult Reconstruction, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, New York, NY.

Background: Spinal degeneration and lumbar flatback deformity can decrease recruitment of protective posterior pelvic tilt when sitting, leading to anterior impingement and increased instability. We aim at analyzing regional and global spinal alignment between sitting and standing to better understand the implications of spinal degeneration and flatback deformity for hip arthroplasty.

Methods: Spinopelvic parameters of patients with full-body sitting-standing stereoradiographs were assessed: lumbar lordosis (LL), spinopelvic tilt (SPT), pelvic incidence minus LL (PI-LL), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and T1 pelvic angle (TPA). Read More

Pain Pract 2020 04 23;20(4):412-421. Epub 2019 Dec 23.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.

Background: Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) stimulation has been safely and effectively applied for controlling various types of pain.

Purpose: We reviewed the literature on the efficacy of PRF for controlling pain in joint disorders.

Methods: We searched PubMed for papers published prior to September 7, 2019, that used PRF to treat pain due to joint disorders. Read More

Wien Klin Wochenschr 2020 Jan 26;132(1-2):27-34. Epub 2019 Nov 26.

Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, Vienna, Austria.

Background: On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), posterior lumbar subcutaneous edema (PLSE) is a frequent incidental, yet unclear finding within the deep subcutaneous perifascial tissue. This study aimed to investigate PLSE in various pathological lumbar conditions.

Methods: This retrospective study included the MR images of the lumbar spine of 279 patients (age range 18-82 years) without cardiovascular, renal or hepatic diseases, 79 of whom had low-grade disc degeneration, 101 combined endplate and facet joint degeneration, 53 axial spondyloarthritis and 46 infectious spondylodiscitis. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 Mar 22;135:76-79. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.

Background: The optimal management of lumbar synovial cysts (LSCs) has always been controversial. Open or minimally invasive partial hemilaminotomy as a direct decompression approach has been widely studied, whereas to our knowledge, there has been no report of an indirect decompression method for LSC.

Case Description: A 60-year-old male complained of chronic low back pain for 2 years. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2019 Nov 23;20(1):558. Epub 2019 Nov 23.

Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Background: Traumatic bilateral locked facet joints at L4-5 level are a rare entity. A careful review only revealed four case reports. This case presented with an unusual mechanism of injury. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 Feb 11;134:e783-e789. Epub 2019 Nov 11.

Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, IAMSPE, São Paulo, Brazil.

Objectives: The treatments described for spinal synovial cysts range from percutaneous puncture to arthrodesis. There is a fear of postoperative instability after surgical resection of cysts, mainly when they are associated with degenerative spondylolisthesis. The objective of the article is to address the postoperative instability and recurrence rate of the symptoms after microsurgery without fusion. Read More

Acta Radiol 2020 Jun 25;61(6):821-829. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Department of Neurosurgery, Health Sciences University, Istanbul Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Background: Magnetic resonance myelography (MRM) with three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted (T2W) turbo spin echo (TSE) sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution (SPACE) may be a guide to the etiology of low back pain.

Purpose: To research the efficiency of a 3D T2W TSE SPACE MRM sequence for visualization of anatomic details of spinal nerve root at the spinal canal and lateral recess levels in the patients with low back pain.

Material And Methods: Lumbar spinal MRM 3D T2W TSE SPACE was performed in a total of 70 patients (median age 46 years). Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2019 Oct 25;20(1):470. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Background: Literature indicates that adjacent-segment diseases after posterior lumbar interbody fusion with pedicle screw fixation accelerate degenerative changes at unfused adjacent segments due to the increased motion and intervertebral stress. Sagittal alignment of the spine is an important consideration as achieving proper lordosis could improve the outcome of spinal fusion and avoid the risk of adjacent segment diseases. Therefore, restoration of adequate lumbar lordosis is considered as a major factor in the long-term success of lumbar fusion. Read More

J Orthop Res 2020 03 5;38(3):670-679. Epub 2019 Nov 5.

Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.

Lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis (LFJ OA) is regarded as one of the common causes of low back pain (LBP). The pathogenesis and underlying mechanism of this disease are largely unknown, there is still no effective disease-modifying therapy. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the pathogenesis and behavioral signs of LBP in the LFJ OA mouse model. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Oct;98(40):e17336

Department of Orthopedics, Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor.

Lumbar 3-joint complex degeneration is a multifactorial, pathological process. Previous studies included insufficient quantitative analyses to prove the relationship between disc degeneration and facet joint osteoarthritis (OA). We assessed the correlation between intervertebral disc and lumbar facet joint degeneration using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters. Read More

Pain Res Manag 2019 2;2019:4867904. Epub 2019 Sep 2.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8505, Japan.

Local bone denervation by magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a promising tool for alleviation of pain in patients with painful bone metastasis (BM). Considering the underlying mechanism of pain alleviation, MRgFUS might be effective for various bone and joint diseases associated with local tenderness. This study was conducted to clarify the therapeutic effect of focused ultrasound in patients with various painful bone and joint diseases that are associated with local tenderness. Read More

BMC Complement Altern Med 2019 Jul 30;19(1):191. Epub 2019 Jul 30.

Molecular Laboratory of TCM, Department of Basic Medicine, Liaoning University of TCM, 79 Chongshan East Road, Shenyang, 110032, China.

Background: Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is closely related to osteoarthritis. In our preliminary study, β-catenin conditional activation (cAct) mice that specifically over-express β-catenin gene in cartilage chondrocyte exhibits osteoarthritis-like phenotype in the lumbar disc and knee joint. Therefore, we used the mice to model FJ-OA and test the potential curative effect of Velvet Antler Polypeptide (VAP) on this mice model. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2019 Jul 2;25:4907-4915. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND Facet joint degeneration (FJD) is a potential source of lower back pain, and estrogen deficiency can accelerate FJD. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of alendronate (ALN) on FJD induced by ovariectomy (OVX) in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either bilateral OVX (n=20) or sham surgery (n=10). Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Jun;98(26):e16230

Department of Orthopaedics, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City.

Background: Effective treatment of low back pain (LBP) originating in the lumbar and sacroiliac joints is difficult to achieve. The objective of the current study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of radiofrequency (RF) neurotomy versus conservative nonsurgical approaches for the management of chronic lumbar and sacroiliac joint pain.

Methods: The PICOS framework was adhered to (P [population]: patients with a history of chronic function-limiting lumbar and sacroiliac joint pain lasting at least 6 months; I [intervention]: RF neurotomy; C [comparator]: other nonsurgical treatments; O [outcomes]: the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), measurement for pain, and a quality of life (QoL) questionnaire; S [study design]: meta-analysis). Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Sep 27;129:390-393. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.

Background: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a spinal emergency that requires early diagnosis and decompression surgery. Here, we report a case of SSEH that was difficult to differentiate from pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVS) because of combined facet joint destruction and that required gross total resection, a procedure not typically indicated for SSEH.

Case Description: A 58-year-old woman complained of sudden-onset walk disturbance after backache without any traumatic episode. Read More

An Sist Sanit Navar 2019 Aug 23;42(2):221-225. Epub 2019 Aug 23.

Servicio de Traumatología. Hospital Virgen del Camino..

Facet joint septic arthritis is a rare cause of spinal infection in children with only four cases reported. The transmission pathway is believed to be haematogenous in 72% of cases. The authors present the case of a 13-year-old boy hospitalised for acute lumbosciatalgia, limp and fever, with pain upon palpation of the paravertebral muscles, a positive Laségue signal and elevated serum inflammatory markers. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Sep 28;129:e393-e400. Epub 2019 May 28.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics, Wenzhou, China. Electronic address:

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between vacuum facet phenomena and lumbar instability in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) in L4-L5.

Methods: Patients with L4-L5 DS who had both lumbosacral flexion-extension radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans available for review from January 2016 to December 2017 were eligible for the present study. The dynamic motion index (DMI) of each patient was used to represent the percentage of slippage of L-L4 on the L5 vertebral disks on the flexion radiographs minus the percentage on the extension radiographs. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Dec 22;29(12):6405-6415. Epub 2019 May 22.

Centre de rhumatologie, CHU de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 31059, Cedex 09, Toulouse, France.

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to compare the prevalence of inflammatory posterior arch abnormalities on lumbar spine MRI between axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients and low back pain (LBP) patients.

Methods: Patients-axSpA patients meeting the 2009 ASAS criteria and chronic LBP patients who had a lumbar spine MRI were selected. MRI-STIR and T1 sagittal images up to T8-T9 were reviewed by two experienced rheumatologists blinded to the diagnosis and clinical data to identify inflammatory posterior arch abnormalities. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2019 May 9;25:3435-3445. Epub 2019 May 9.

Department of Orthopedics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND This is the first published study assessing the parallelogram effect of degenerative structures around the apical vertebra. We evaluated the effect of degenerative structures around the apical vertebra and spinopelvic parameters on the severity of ADS. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data on 144 patients with ADS. Read More

Int J Numer Method Biomed Eng 2019 09 18;35(9):e3214. Epub 2019 Jul 18.

Department of Robotics Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, South Korea.

Facet arthrosis at surgical level was identified as major complication after total disc replacement (TDR). One of the reasons for facet arthrosis after TDR has been speculated to be the hypermobility of artificial discs. Accordingly, the artificial disc that can constrain the hypermobility of ball-and-socket type artificial discs and reduce loading on facet joints is demanded. Read More

Med Ultrason 2019 May;21(2):131-135

Tallaght University Hospital.

Aim: Ultrasound of neuraxis can be used to identify the best possible inter-spinous space to perform neuraxial block. The aim of this study was to assess the anatomical correlation between neuraxial ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material And Method: Twenty-one patients who underwent MRI of the lumbar spine had ultrasound of lumbar neuraxis performed by an experienced operator. Read More

J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2019 Jul 24;80(4):269-276. Epub 2019 Apr 24.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

Background:  No studies have directly and quantitatively compared two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) planning as applied during conventional percutaneous or navigated percutaneous pedicle screw placement.

Study Aims:  This lumbar pedicle-based stabilization simulation study aimed to investigate the risk of upper facet joint violation (FJV) during posterior percutaneous pedicle screw placement with conventional 2D planning of screw implantation (as a model for fluoroscopically guided screws) compared with 3D planning (as used with navigation techniques).

Methods:  The placement of monosegmental lumbar pedicle screws using the data sets of 250 consecutive patients was simulated. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2019 Apr 9;20(1):158. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Background: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) affects millions of Americans and costs billions. Studies suggest a link between cLBP and joint hypermobility.

Methods: We conducted cross-sectional primary analyses of joint hypermobility and cLBP, lumbar spine osteoarthritis (OA), and lumbar facet joint OA (FOA) in 3 large studies-the Generalized Osteoarthritis Study, Genetics of Generalized Osteoarthritis Study, and Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project (total n = 5072). Read More

Ann Biomed Eng 2019 Jul 1;47(7):1491-1522. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Orthopaedics, Balgrist University Hospital, Forchstrasse 340, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland.

Understanding spinal kinematics is essential, not only for the comprehension and diagnosis of spinal diseases, but also for improving modern tools and software. The sheer volume and complexity of now available information can be overwhelming. We aimed to distil it into a form that facilitates comparison among diverse studies addressing spinal kinematics under healthy and degenerative conditions. Read More

Asian Spine J 2019 08 26;13(4):672-681. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Department of Neurosurgery, Good Doctor Teun Teun Hospital, Anyang, Korea.

The lumbar foramen is affected by different degenerative diseases, including extraforaminal disc herniation, foraminal stenosis (FS), and degenerative or spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. The purpose of this study was to describe percutaneous stenoscopic lumbar decompression with a paramedian approach (para-PSLD) for foraminal/extraforaminal lesions. All operative procedures were performed using a complete uniportal endoscopic instrument system. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2019 Aug;44(16):E930-E938

Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.

Study Design: The lumbar facet joint (LFJ) osteoarthritis (OA) model that highly mimics the clinical conditions was established and evaluated.

Objective: Here, we innovatively constructed and evaluated the aberrant mechanical loading-related LFJ OA model.

Summary Of Background Data: LFJ is the only true synovial joint in a functional spinal unit in mammals. Read More

Intern Med 2019 Jun 25;58(12):1787-1789. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Japan.

A 75-year-old woman was admitted with urosepsis due to Escherichia coli infection. After improvement with a ureteral stent and antimicrobial agent, she complained of back pain and showed elevated inflammation marker levels. Arthralgia and arthritis of multiple peripheral joints were noted, and radiography indicated cartilage calcification. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Sep 22;29(9):4990-4998. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Liesvei 65, 5021, Bergen, Norway.

Objective: To assess the reliability of lumbar facet arthropathy evaluation with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with and without lumbar disc prosthesis and to estimate the reliability for individual CT and MRI findings indicating facet arthropathy.

Methods: Metal-artifact reducing CT and MRI protocols were performed at follow-up of 114 chronic back pain patients treated with (n = 66) or without (n = 48) lumbar disc prosthesis. Three experienced radiologists independently rated facet joint space narrowing, osteophyte/hypertrophy, erosions, subchondral cysts, and total grade facet arthropathy at each of the three lower lumbar levels on both CT and MRI, using Weishaupt et al's rating system. Read More

Reg Anesth Pain Med 2019 03;44(3):389-397

Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Background And Objectives: No previous study has assessed the outcomes of cooled radiofrequency ablation (C-RFA) of the medial branch nerves (MBN) for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain nor compared its effectiveness with traditional RFA (T-RFA). This study evaluated 6-month outcomes for pain, function, psychometrics, and medication usage in patients who underwent MBN C-RFA versus T-RFA for lumbar Z-joint pain.

Methods: In this blinded, prospective trial, patients with positive diagnostic MBN blocks (>75% relief) were randomized to MBN C-RFA or T-RFA. Read More

Asian Spine J 2019 Jun 13;13(3):417-422. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.

Study Design: Case control study.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and degree of asymptomatic cervical and lumbar facet joint arthritis. We retrospectively reviewed 500 computed tomography (CT) scans of cervical facet joints obtained from 50 subjects. Read More

Skeletal Radiol 2019 Sep 5;48(9):1443-1449. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Radiology and Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.

Synovial chondromatosis is an uncommon benign neoplasm that usually affects large appendicular joints and only rarely the spine. There are only a few small series and case reports documenting malignant transformation of synovial chondromatosis into secondary chondrosarcoma, typically within the hip in the setting of recalcitrant disease and multiple recurrences. Chondrosarcoma arising in synovial chondromatosis of the spine is exceedingly rare, with only one previously published case report involving the craniocervical junction. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 05 29;125:e429-e434. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Department of Spine Surgery, Peking University Fourth School of Clinical Medicine and Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Objective: To compare the clinical accuracy and perioperative outcomes for pedicle screw placement in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) between the robot-assisted (RA) technique and fluoroscopy-guided (FG) technique.

Methods: Seventy-seven patients scheduled to undergo RA (n = 43) and FG (n = 44) TLIF surgery were included. Patient demographics, radiographic accuracy, and perioperative outcomes were recorded and compared. Read More

Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim 2019 Apr 22;66(4):213-221. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Servicio de Anestesiología-Unidad del Dolor, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.

Low back pain is currently one of the main public health problems. Among the multiple causes, pain in the zygapophysial joints, also called facets or posterior vertebral joints, are an important cause, usually secondary to osteoarthritis. The source of low back pain is often difficult to find, making the therapeutic approach to the patient sub-optimal. Read More

Orthopade 2019 Jan;48(1):77-83

Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Regensburg, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Universität Regensburg, 93077, Bad Abbach, Deutschland.

Background: The degeneration of the lumbar facet joint is a multi-factorial process that is closely linked to degeneration of the intervertebral discs and has been implicated as one of the causes of low-back pain of elderly patients in about 15 up to 40% of cases. Moreover, emerging data suggest that increased inflammatory features play an important role in the progression of lumbar facet joint disease and may serve as a link to the afferent pain nerve fibers.

Operative Techniques: Since the first description in 1975 of minimally invasive treatment of lumbar facet joint disease, different techniques have been developed and used with varying results. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Apr 3;62:243-245. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Background: Tumoral calcinosis has been defined as a pathological condition which presents as calcified masses around juxta-articular structures. The etiology of this pathology is still not well understood but degenerative spine diseases seem to play a role. The diagnosis of tumoral calcinosis preoperatively can prevent intraoperative confusion from unexpected findings, especially in cases where removal of the calcified mass is essential to treating the patient's symptoms, i. Read More

Adv Gerontol 2019 ;32(5):804-811

Irkutsk State Medical University, 1 Krasnogo Vosstaniya str., Irkutsk 664003, Russian Federation, e mail:

The aim of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the long-term results of applying PRP therapy and facetoplasty in patients of the older age group with an isolated lumbar facet syndrome. The study included 159 patients over the age of 65 with symptomatic degenerative disease of the facet joints, who were operated on using PRP therapy and facethoplasty in the period from 2016 to 2018. Independent sequential randomization (1:1) of 144 patients was performed using software. Read More