title: Clinical evaluation and surgical decision making for patients with lumbar discogenic pain and facet syndrome.
abstract: In industrialized countries, more than two thirds of the population suffers from low back pain (LBP) in their lifetime. LBP associated with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, and instability is a well-known and documented entity. On the other hand, the lumbar discogenic pain and facet syndrome are difficult to be clearly identified, and they are not always detectable by imaging. This article describes the causes of these painful syndromes, which are typically without radicular component, explains the modern diagnostic procedures, and provides guidelines for surgical decision making.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgical Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: enrico.tessitore@hcuge.ch.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tessitore
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgical Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: granitmolliqaj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Granit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Molliqaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Georg-August University, University of Medicine Gottingen, 37075 Gottingen, Germany. Electronic address: schatlo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bawarjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schatlo
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgical Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: karl.schaller@hcuge.ch.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schaller
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods
keywords: Discogenic pain; Facet joint; Fusion; Low back pain