Percutaneous radiofrequency facet capsule denervation as an alternative target in lumbar facet syndrome

Lumbar zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints have been implicated as the source of chronic low back pain (CLBP) in approximately 45% of cases [1,3,14,22]. Each facet joint is innervated by the medial branch of the dorsal ramus of the nerve root (nerve of Luschka) at the same level and the level above [5,24]. Blocking facet joint innervation via injecting long acting local anesthetic with or without a long acting steroid has been widely used to verify the facet joint as the offending source of CLBP.
Source: Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery - Category: Neurosurgery Authors: Source Type: research