Introduction
lumbar medial branch block, Lumbar facet joints, pain, LMBB, LFJ, LBP
ARTHRITIC CHANGES, CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, DEGENERATIVE, INFLAMMATION, SYNDROME
Lumbar facet joints (LFJ) syndrome is a common source of spinal suffering affecting up to 45% of patients with a chronic low back pain (LBP) because of inflammation, degenerative or arthritic changes, overload of the posterior LFJ or muscle imbalance [In fact, it cannot be identified by imaging or physical examination alone, because of various presentations (often pain exacerbated by lumbar extension, lateral flexion or rotation) and referred pain, making the diagnosis complicated [The first-line therapy for the alleviation of chronic LBP of zygapophyseal joint origin includes bedrest, oral analgesics/anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy. If unsuccessful, intra-articular injections and lumbar medial branch block (LMBB) can provide diagnosis and are always performed prior to the neurotomy (radiofrequency or cryoneurolysis) which is able to provide short and long-term pain relief [According to pain centers, LMBB is realized by fluoroscopy (FS), ultrasonography or computed tomography (CT) scanner for guidance [The aim of the present study was to prospectively compare the effectiveness of those two imaging-guided techniques regarding the early and long term pain scores.