title: The lumbar facet joint: a review of current knowledge: Part II: diagnosis and management.
abstract: This article is the second article in a two-part review on lumbar facet joint pathology. In this review, we discuss the current concepts and controversies regarding the proper diagnosis and management of patients presenting with presumed facet-mediated lower back pain. All efforts were made to include the most relevant literature from the fields of radiology, orthopaedics, physiatry, and pain management. Our focus in this article is on presenting the evidence supporting or refuting the most commonly employed injection-based therapies for facet-mediated lower back pain.
authors.affiliation: NYU School of Medicine, Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, 317 East 34th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Gerard P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Varlotta
authors.forename: Todd R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Lefkowitz
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Errico
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spivak
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bendo
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rybak
mesh_terms: D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*