Skip to content

Fluoroscopy Guided Lumbar Facet Joint Injection Versus Ultrasound Guided Injection in Patients With Low Back Pain Due to Facet Syndrome

Comparative Study Between Fluoroscopy Guided Lumbar Facet Joint Injection Versus Ultrasound Guided Injection in Patients With Low Back Pain Due to Facet Syndrome

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03770585
Enrollment
80
Registered
2018-12-10
Start date
2015-09-30
Completion date
2018-07-30
Last updated
2018-12-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Facet Syndrome of Lumbar Spine

Brief summary

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of fluoroscopy guided lumbar facet joint injection versus ultrasound guided injection in patients with low back pain due to facet syndrome.

Detailed description

All patients will be randomly classified into two equal groups (40 patients each) by using closed envelops, a computer generated random allocation codes. Group 1(Fluoroscopy guided group) (n =40 patients): The patient will be placed in the prone position with a pillow under the abdomen to correct the lumbar lordosis. The joint to be injected is located and marked, the x ray tube is then slowly rotated till the joint appear in profile as two parallel lines. After cleaning and drapping and administration of local anesthesia a22-g spinal needle is inserted in line with x-ray beam till bony contact is felt. All procedures will be performed under sterile conditions. Each facet joint is infiltrated with a mixture containing 0.5 ml of 0.25 % bupivacaine and 0.5 ml (20mg) methylprednisolone acetate injected into the joint. Group2 (Ultrasound guided group) (n=40 patients): Patients will be placed in a prone position. Posterior paravertebral parasagittal sonograms will be obtained to identify of the different spinal levels. The spinous process and adjacent structures (lamina of the vertebral arch, facet joint, accessory process, and mammillary process) will be delineated by transverse sonograms at the target level, and the midpoint of the facet joint space will be established. After cleaning and drapping and administration of local anesthesia. If the joint is clearly or partially visible, a spinal needle is advanced under US guidance into the joint space of each lumbar facet joint. The needle is inserted 1-2 cm laterally from the midline at the lateral end of the transducer and precisely positioned in the US plane at an angle of approximately 45owith respect to the axial plane until the needle tip reached the target and bony contact is felt. This enables visualization of the needle, which appears as a bright line-shaped echo pattern on the transverse sonogram. If the needle placement is correct, a mixture containing 0.5 ml of 0.25 % bupivacaine and 0.5 ml(20mg) methylprednisolone acetate is administered intra-articular (until resistance was encountered) and injected around the posterior facet joint capsule.

Interventions

PROCEDUREFluoroscopy guided Facet joint injection

Fluoroscopy guided Facet joint injection (The patient will be placed in the prone position with a pillow under the abdomen to correct the lumbar lordosis. The joint to be injected is located and marked, the x ray tube is then slowly rotated till the joint appear in profile as two parallel lines. After cleaning and drapping and administration of local anesthesia a22-g spinal needle is inserted in line with x-ray beam till bony contact is felt. All procedures will be performed under sterile conditions. Each facet joint is infiltrated with a mixture containing 0.5 ml of 0.25 % bupivacaine and 0.5 ml (20mg) methylprednisolone acetate injected into the joint.)

PROCEDUREUltrsound guided Facet joint injection

Ultrsound guided Facet joint injection (Patients will be placed in a prone position. The needle is inserted 1-2 cm laterally from the midline at the lateral end of the transducer and precisely positioned in the US plane at an angle of approximately 45o with respect to the axial plane)

Sponsors

Tanta University
CollaboratorOTHER
Mansoura University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients, more than 18 years old, with pain associated with lumbar hyper-extension, lateral flexion, and tenderness on paravertebral regions corresponding to facet joints but normal findings on the straight leg raise test and neurologic examination.

Exclusion criteria

* Patient refusal and lack of consent. * Local or systemic infection. * allergy to steroids or local anesthetics * Patients with coagulopathies. * Evidence of nerve root compression at the expected level on MRI. * Pregnant patients

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Success rate of the technique1 daySuccess rate of the technique

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The visual analogue scale (VAS) scoreUp to 3 monthsThe visual analogue scale (VAS) score: before injections and at 1hour,a week, a month, and three months after injections.
Oswestry disability index. (ODI)Up to 3 months(Pain Intensity, Personal Care, Lifting, Walking, Sitting, Standing, Sleeping, Sex Life, Social Life and Traveling )
Duration of procedure2 hoursDuration of procedure
Complications1 weekAllergy, infection

Countries

Egypt

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026