Chapter 6 - Thoracic medial branches

Abstract

Thoracic facet joint disease is not an uncommon chronic pain condition. Its underappreciated and underdiagnosed. This often leads to unnecessary patient suffering. The medial nerve branch block is the only reliable way to diagnose this condition, and radiofrequency ablation is the only established method with long-term outcome. The technique is technically challenging but easy to learn and perform effectively. This chapter provides a detailed review of the anatomy and a step-by-step approach to properly perform the procedure.