[Relief of chronic cervical pain after selective blockade of zygapophyseal joint].
Osteoarthrosis of the zygapophyseal joint (Z-joint) is a potential cause of chronic cervical pain. The diagnosis of thirty patients, with pain of more than 12 months duration and with no history of trauma, was confirmed with intra-articular fluoroscopy-guided infiltration of anesthetic. The patients were subsequently treated with intra-articular corticosteroids (Depo-Medrol 40 mg). Visual Analogue Scale was used for evaluation purposes. The mean time for relapse of 50 percent of the pre-injection level of pain was 12.47 +/- 1.89 weeks, significantly longer than 3 days as reported in patients similarly treated following whiplash neck injury. At this point selective blockade of Z-joints may be offered as an adjunct for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes for patients with chronic neck pain due to facet osteoarthrosis in the ambulatory setup.
Folman
Y
Y
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel.
Livshitz
A
A
Shabat
S
S
Gepstein
R
R
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D009333:Neck; D009407:Nerve Block; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059408:Pain Management; D012008:Recurrence; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008775:Methylprednisolone