Cervical Medial Branch Research Articles

An Exploratory Study of the Ability to Measure Cervical Medial Branch Sensory Nerve Action Potentials in a Live Animal Model

An Exploratory Study of the Ability to Measure Cervical Medial Branch Sensory Nerve Action Potentials in a Live Animal Model

An Examination of the Risks Associated with Cervical Medial Branch Blocks and Cervical Facet Joint Injections in Patients on Antithrombotics

An Examination of the Risks Associated with Cervical Medial Branch Blocks and Cervical Facet Joint Injections in Patients on Antithrombotics

Cooled radiofrequency ablation of cervical medial branches for treatment of facetogenic pain

In cervical spine, the anatomical course of medial branch in significantly different and thermal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the cervical median branch though proven effective is technically challenging. Cooled RFA (CRFA) is a newer revolutionary technique that creates a larger spherical lesion and thus compensates for the anatomical variability of the medial branches in the cervical spine. Our case report is aimed to discuss the technique of CRFA for the treatment of cervical facetogenic pain. Right C2–C5 medial branch CRFA was done under fluoroscopic guidance under monitored anesthesia care using 17G with 75 mm length and 2 mm active tip cooled radiofrequency cannula. After 8 weeks of follow-up, the patient reported 80% pain relief.

Single Entry Posterior Parasagittal Approach Radiofrequency Neurotomy of Cervical Medial Branch: A Feasible Alternative to Conventional Approaches in the Treatment of Cervical Facet Pain.

Cervical facet joint pain is an important cause of chronic neck pain. The recommended treatment for this condition is radiofrequency (RF) neurotomy of the medial branch of dorsal rami. There have been attempts to find safe and effective ways to perform this procedure. The objective of this study is to describe the single entry posterior parasagittal approach and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this approach compared to the conventional posterolateral approach of RF neurotomy of cervical medial branch. The record of all patients with cervical facet pain who were treated with RF neurotomy medial branch of dorsal rami between January 2016 and December 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Comparisons were made between patients who underwent RF neurotomy with multiple skin entry posterolateral approach and those who underwent RF neurotomy with single entry posterior parasagittal approach. The primary outcome was measured as the mean changes in numerical rating scale (NRS), and the secondary outcomes were duration and complications related to both approaches. Thirty-one patients who underwent RF neurotomy via posterolateral approach were compared with 40 patients who underwent the procedure via posterior parasagittal approach. Both approaches showed a significant decrease in the NRS from baseline values. However, the differences in the NRS lowering effect at 3 and 12 months between these 2 approaches were not statistically significant. The duration of the procedure was significantly shorter with posterior parasagittal approach (44.13 ± 4.72 minutes vs 54.68 ± 7.39 minutes; P < 0.001). There were no serious complications encountered in both approaches. With comparable efficacy and safety profile between the posterior parasagittal and the conventional posterolateral approaches, the former single skin entry approach offers the added advantage of being less time-consuming. Further randomized prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.

Cervical medial branch block progression to radiofrequency neurotomy: A retrospective clinical audit

BackgroundChronic axial neck pain (CANP) due to zygapophysial joint arthropathy is best diagnosed via cervical medial branch block (MBB). However, the paradigm by which MBB is used to select patients for cervical radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) is contested. Dual diagnostic cervical MBB with a minimum of ≥80% pain relief to diagnose cervical zygapophysial joint pain has been accepted by some Medicare Local Coverage Determinations as the method for selecting patients for cervical RFN. There are some who would argue that the utility of the dual diagnostic MBB and the ≥80% pain relief cut off lacks utility in clinical practice. The suspicion being those who progress from MBB1 to MBB2 will then flow from MBB2 to RFN without fail. Does clinical practice using dual diagnostic MBBs and using an ≥80% pain relief cut off reduce patient eligibility for cervical RFN after both MBB1 and MBB2? MethodsA retrospective clinical audit was carried out at an academic institution spine center from January 1st to December 31st, 2019. Charts were selected based on Current Procedural Terminology codes for MBB, then included if the cervical medial branches were targeted. Charts were then reviewed for procedural progression. Results21/51 (24%, 95% Confidence Interval 12-35%) patients progressed from MBB1 to MBB2. Of those 21 patients, 13 patients progressed from MBB2 to RFN (62%, 95% CI 41-83%). In total, 13/51 (14%, 95% CI 14-37%) patients who were initially suspected to have CANP due to zygapophysial joint pain progressed to RFN. Both MBB1 and MBB2 hindered the progression of 30/51 patients (59%, 95% CI 45-72%) and 8/21 patients (38%, 95% CI 17-59%), respectively. ConclusionBoth MBB1 and MBB2 served to filter patients from progression to RFN using dual MBBs with an ≥80% pain relief cutoff.

Beware the Wandering Needle: Inadvertent Intramedullary Injection During an Attempted Cervical Medial Branch Block

A 27-year-old man developed sudden neck pain, severe quadriparesis, and right shoulder allodynia during an outpatient cervical medial branch block procedure. Cervical spine imaging revealed evidence of an interlaminar needle trajectory with abnormal signal in the right hemicord at the level of C4, consistent with intramedullary injection and contusion. Following a 48-hour stay in the intensive care unit, during which hemodynamic vasopressor support was administered to optimize spinal cord perfusion, the patient exhibited almost complete neurologic recovery with resolution of the neuropathic pain. He was eventually discharged home and underwent outpatient physical therapy for a mild residual right hemiparesis.

Efficacy of radiofrequency lesioning for chronic spinal pain: A systematic review

Introduction: Facet joint pain, discogenic pain, sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain, and radicular pain are chronic spinal pain conditions, where radiofrequency (RF) lesioning has been used so far with variable results. It is always desired to choose a therapeutic option based on its current evidence. The present systematic review has focused on the efficacy of RF lesioning for chronic spinal pain conditions. Methods: A literature search was done in PubMed from the year 1966 onward. The basic idea of the literature search was to find out studies focusing on RF lesioning for chronic spinal pain. The randomized controlled trials and observational studies focusing on RF lesioning for chronic spinal pain of more than 3 months duration have been included in this review. Results: A total of 286 studies have been identified after literature search and assessed for inclusion in this review. Forty-two of these studies meeting the inclusion criteria have been included for the formulation of evidence; 26 of these studies were of high quality, 14 were of moderate quality, and 2 were of low quality as per Cochrane review criteria score. The level of evidence for RF lesioning of conditions giving rise to nonradicular pain is Level I for continuous RF lesioning of lumbar facet medial branch, for both short- and long-term effectiveness; level II evidence for continuous RF lesioning of cervical facet medial branch, continuous RF or cooled RF lesioning of SIJ and bipolar cooled RF in intradiscal biacuplasty for discogenic pain, for both short- and long-term effectiveness; level III evidence for continuous RF lesioning of thoracic facet medial branch. For radicular pain management, there is Level II evidence for dorsal root ganglion (DRG) pulsed RF lesioning, for both short- and long-term effectiveness. Conclusion: The evidence for RF lesioning of chronic spinal pain is summarized as follows: Nonradicular pain. Cervical facet joint pain: Level II evidence for continuous RF lesioning of cervical facet medial branch. Thoracic facet joint pain: Level III evidence for continuous RF lesioning of thoracic facet medial branch. Lumbar facet joint pain: Level I evidence for continuous RF lesioning of lumbar facet medial branch. Sacro-iliac joint pain: Level II for continuous RF or cooled RF lesioning of SIJ. Discogenic pain: Level II evidence for bipolar cooled RF in intradiscal biacuplasty for discogenic pain. Radicular Pain: Level II evidence for DRG pulsed RF lesioning for the management of radicular pain.

"True" Lateral Imaging for Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy.

"True" Lateral Imaging for Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy.

Efficacy and Long-term Effect of Radiofrequency Denervation in Patients with Clinically Diagnosed Cervical Facet Joint Pain: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Multicenter double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial. To assess the efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) denervation of the cervical facet joints in chronic cervical facet joint pain. One randomized controlled trial showed efficacy of RF denervation in whiplash-associated disease. There are no randomized controlled trials on RF denervation in patients with chronic cervical facet joint pain. Patients were randomized to receive RF denervation combined with bupivacaine (intervention group) or bupivacaine alone (control group). In the intervention group, an RF thermal lesion was made at the cervical medial branches after the injection of bupivacaine. The primary outcome was measured at 6 months and consisted of pain intensity, self-reported treatment effect, improvement on the Neck Disability Index, and the use of pain medication. Duration of effect was determined using telephone interviews. We included 76 patients. In the intervention group, 55.6% showed > 30% pain decrease versus 51.3% in the control group (P = 0.711); 50.0% reported success on the Patients' Global Impression of Change in the intervention group versus 41.0% (P = 0.435); the Neck Disability Index was 15.0 ± 8.7 in the intervention group compared with 16.5 ± 7.2 (P = 0.432), the need for pain medication did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.461). The median time to end of treatment success for patients in the RF group was 42 months, compared with 12 months in the bupivacaine group (P = 0.014). We did not observe significant differences between RF denervation combined with injection of local anesthesia compared with local anesthesia only at 6 months follow-up. We found a difference in the long-term effect after 6 months follow-up in favor of the RF treatment.Level of Evidence: 2.

Assessment of Prevalence of Cervical Facet Joint Pain with Diagnostic Cervical Medial Branch Blocks: Analysis Based on Chronic Pain Model

Research into cervical spinal pain syndromes has indicated that the cervical facet joints can be a potent source of neck pain, headache, and referred pain into the upper extremities. There have been multiple diagnostic accuracy studies, most commonly utilizing diagnostic facet joint nerve blocks and an acute pain model, as Bogduk has proposed. Subsequently, Manchikanti has focused on the importance of the chronic pain model and longer lasting relief with diagnostic blocks. To assess diagnostic accuracy of cervical facet joint nerve blocks with controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks, with updated assessment of prevalence, false-positive rate, and a description of philosophical paradigm shift from acute to chronic pain model, with concordant pain relief. This diagnostic accuracy study was performed with retrospective assessment of data to assess prevalence and false-positive rates. The study was performed in a non-university-based, multidisciplinary, interventional pain management, private practice in the United States. Cervical medial branch blocks were performed utilizing lidocaine 1% followed by bupivacaine 0.25% when appropriate response was obtained in an operating room under fluoroscopic guidance with 0.5 mL of lidocaine or bupivacaine from C3-C6 medial branches (levels blocked on joints involved). If a patient failed to respond to lidocaine with appropriate >= 80% pain relief, that patient was considered as negative for facet joint pain. If the response was positive with lidocaine block, a bupivacaine block was performed. The chronic cervical facet joint pain was diagnosed with cervical facet joint nerve blocks at a prevalence of 49.3% (95% CI, 43.6%, 55.0%) and with a false-positive rate of 25.6% (95% CI, 19.5%, 32.8%). This study also showed a single block prevalence rate of 66.3% (95% CI, 71.7%, 60.9%). Assessment of the duration of relief with each block showed greater than 80% for 6 days with lidocaine block and total relief of >= 50% of 31 days. In contrast, with bupivacaine, average duration of pain relief of >= 80% was 12 days with a total relief of >= 50% lasting for 55 days. Based on this investigation, utilizing a chronic pain model, there was significant difference in the relief patterns. This assessment showed prevalence and false-positive rates of 49.3% and 25.6% in chronic neck pain. Duration of relief >= 80% pain relief was 6 days with lidocaine and 12 days with bupivacaine, with total relief of >= 50% of 31 days with 55 days respectively.

Medial Branch Blocks for Diagnosis of Facet Joint Pain Etiology and Use in Chronic Pain Litigation.

A commonly disputed medicolegal issue is the documentation of the location, degree, and anatomical source of an injured plaintiff’s ongoing pain, particularly when the painful region is in or near the spine, and when the symptoms have arisen as result of a relatively low speed traffic crash. The purpose of our paper is to provide health and legal practitioners with strategies to identify the source of cervical pain and to aid triers of fact (decision makers) in reaching better informed conclusions. We review the medical evidence for the applications and reliability of cervical medial branch nerve blocks as an indication of painful spinal facets. We also present legal precedents for the legal admissibility of the results of such diagnostic testing as evidence of chronic spine pain after a traffic crash. Part of the reason for the dispute is the subjective nature of pain, and the fact that medical documentation of pain complaints relies primarily on the history given by the patient. A condition that can be documented objectively is chronic cervical spine facet joint pain, as demonstrated by medial branch block (injection). The diagnostic accuracy of medial branch blocks has been extensively described in the scientific medical literature, and evidence of facet blocks to objectively document chronic post-traumatic neck pain has been accepted as scientifically reliable in courts and tribunals in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. We conclude that there is convincing scientific medical evidence that the results of cervical facet blocks provide reliable objective evidence of chronic post-traumatic spine pain, suitable for presentation to an adjudicative decision maker.

Can Chronic Pain Be Stopped by Accurate Diagnosis and Target Specific Treatment? The Case for Cervical Medial Branch Neurotomy

Can Chronic Pain Be Stopped by Accurate Diagnosis and Target Specific Treatment? The Case for Cervical Medial Branch Neurotomy

The Effectiveness of Cervical Medial Branch Thermal Radiofrequency Neurotomy Stratified by Selection Criteria: ASystematic Review of the Literature.

To determine the effectiveness of cervical medial branch thermal radiofrequency neurotomy in the treatment of neck pain or cervicogenic headache based on different selection criteria. Comprehensive systematic review. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, and the authors screened and evaluated the studies. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system was used to assess all eligible studies. The primary outcome measure assessed was the success rate of the procedure, defined by varying degrees of pain relief following neurotomy. Data are stratified by number of diagnostic blocks and degree of pain relief. Results varied by selection criteria, which included triple placebo-controlled medial branch blocks, dual comparative medial branch blocks, single medial branch blocks, intra-articular blocks, physical examination findings, and symptoms alone. Outcome data showed a greater degree of pain relief more often when patients were selected by triple placebo-controlled medial branch blocks or dual comparative medial branch blocks, producing 100% relief of the index pain. The degree of pain relief was similar when triple or dual comparative blocks were used. Higher degrees of relief from cervical medial branch thermal radiofrequency neurotomy are more often achieved, to a statistically significant extent, if patients are selected on the basis of complete relief of index pain following comparative diagnostic blocks. If selected based on lesser degrees of relief, patients are less likely to obtain complete relief.

Cervical Dystonia Refractory to Botulinum Toxin Responding to Radiofrequency Ablation: A Case Report

A 62-year-old male diagnosed with cervical dystonia (CD) and chronic right-sided neck pain presented to the Pain Clinic after his pain and CD symptoms failed to resolve with botulinum toxin therapy. During clinical examination, right C3-C4 and C4-C5 facet arthropathy was suspected. After two sets of diagnostic right cervical, C3, C4, and C5 medial branch blocks provided >80% pain relief; cervical radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) was performed. Post CRFA, the patient was followed for 12 months. Till the last follow-up, he was not only experiencing 90% pain relief, but also had significant improvement in his CD symptoms to the point that he no longer needed botulinum toxin and other CD-related therapy. This report suggests that large-scale research is required to postulate whether CD patients, whose symptoms are refractory to botulinum toxin, should be routinely screened for cervical facet arthropathy. This is the first reported case of improvement in CD symptoms with CRFA. This effect could be explained by the fact that certain deep cervical muscles, which are affected in CD, are innervated by medial branch nerves.

A Critical Look at the Data Supporting Ultrasound Guided Cervical Medial Branch Blocks

According to guidelines published by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians in 2013 ‎1, ‎2, the current evidence for cervical facet joint injections is fair. Yet the volume of these procedures continues to rise ‎3. There is a need for a more critical appraisal of the benefit, technique and adverse effects associated with cervical spine injections. The systematic review and meta-analysis by Paredes et al ‎4 seeks to better assess the evidence for use of ultrasound (US) guidance with cervical medial branch blocks. This article is also a response to a recently published critique by Schneider et al ‎5 raising concerns about the paucity of evidence evaluating the safety, accuracy, and effectiveness of US-guided cervical spine procedures.

Ultrasound-Guided Cervical Medial Branch Blocks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: Cervical medial branch blocks (CMBBs) are useful in differentiating facetogenic pain from other sources of cervicogenic headaches and neck pain. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the efficacy, performance time, pain reduction, and adverse events associated with ultrasound (US) guided CMBB compared with other commonly used guidance methods such as fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT). Methods: Searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Ovid were completed to identify studies addressing CMBBs utilizing ultrasound compared to other imaging techniques. Three reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts, extracting data from eligible studies. Outcomes of interest including success rate, efficacy, performance time and complication profile were analyzed in meta-analysis. All other reported measures and complication profiles were analyzed descriptively. Results: A total of 9 studies were included. Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 5 cohort studies satisfied inclusion criteria. US-guided CMBBs demonstrated similar success rates (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.15 to 7.52, z = 0.05, P = 0.96) and similar pain efficacy (SMD = -0.54, 95% CI = -1.91 to 0.83, z = - 0.77, P = 0.44) compared to traditional guidance techniques. However, US-guided CMBBs demonstrated reduced performance time (SMD = -1.77, 95% CI = -2.65 to -0.89, z = -3.94, P &lt;0.01) and rate of vascular injury/injection (OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.75, z = -2.23, P = 0.03) compared to fluoroscopy guided CMBBs. Conclusion: This review and meta-analysis demonstrated that US-guided cervical medial branch blocks are a reliable alternative to fluoroscopy- and CT-guided CMBBs, with similar efficacy but a potentially improved safety and performance time.

CT guided cervical medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation

The purpose of this report is to describe the procedure for CT fluoroscopy– guided Cervical medial branch block and facet radiofrequency ablation. CT fluoroscopic guidance allows more-precise needle tip positioning with visualization of bony landmarks and at the same time be aware of the adjoining soft tissue anatomy with good localization of adjacent critical non-targeted areas such as the neural foramina and the dorsal root ganglia. This serves as an alternative method for performing medial branch blocks and facet radiofrequency ablation.

The Effectiveness of Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Facet Joint Syndrome in Patients Selected by a Practical Medial Branch Block Paradigm.

Cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation (CMBRFA) is an effective treatment for facetogenic pain in patients selected by Spine Intervention Society (SIS) guidelines of 100% symptom improvement with dual medial branch blocks (MBBs) ± placebo block. Patient selection for CMBRFA using ≥80% symptom improvement after dual concordant MBBs is common; however, this has not been studied. To evaluate the effectiveness of CMBRFA and compare outcomes in individuals selected by 80-99% vs 100% symptom improvement with dual concordant MBBs. Cross-sectional cohort study. Medical records of 87 consecutive patients were reviewed; 50 met inclusion criteria. A standardized telephone survey was performed at six or more months post-CMBRFA to query numerical rating scale (NRS) pain and patient global impression of change (PGIC) scores. The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients reporting ≥50% reduction of index pain. At a mean follow-up time of 16.9 ± 12.7 months, 54% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 35-73%) and 54% (95% CI = 32-74%) of the 80-99% and 100% MBBs groups, respectively, reported ≥50% pain reduction. Between-group comparison showed a relative risk of 0.99 (95% CI = 0.59-1.66) for meeting the primary outcome. Seventy percent (95% CI = 56-81%) of patients reported a PGIC score consistent with "improved or very much improved" at follow-up. CMBRFA is an effective treatment in patients who report ≥80% symptom relief with dual concordant MBBs. The present study demonstrated an overall ≥50% pain reduction rate of 54% and no significant difference between those selected by 80-99% vs 100% symptom relief with dual concordant MBBs.

Comparison of cervical medial branch nerve block versus trigger point injection in patients with chronic neck pain

Background: Annual prevalence of chronic neck pain in general population averages between 30%-50%. Among various causes of chronic neck pain cervical facet joint involvement accounts for about 54% to 67%. Interventional procedures such as medial branch nerve block, trigger point injections and dry needling have been described for management of chronic neck pain. Objectives: To determine the clinical effectiveness of cervical medial branch block and trigger point injections in the management chronic neck pain. Design: Randomized, double blinded, prospective study conducted at two different centers in India, Pain Clinic, Department of Anaesthesiology, J.N. Medical College hospital, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Delhi Pain management centre, New Delhi, India. Methods: Data analysis was done from a total of 60 patients with 30 patients in each group. Group CMB received cervical medial branch block and group TP received trigger point injection with levobupivacaine (0.25%) and triamcinolone (20mg) at two different levels. There was no sham group. Outcome Measure: Numeric rating scale (NRS), Neck Pain Disability Index (NDI), weekly analgesic requirement and subjective evaluation of patients was done at 1st week, 3rd week, 6th week and 12th week of follow up and compared with the pre-procedure value. Results: Significant pain relief was observed in both the groups of study, at 1st week of study, compared to baseline. Further follow up showed significantly better pain relief in patients receiving medial branch nerve block than patient receiving tender point injections at 3rd, 6th week and 12th week. NDI score in-group CMB was significantly better as compared to group TP at 3rd, 6th and 12th week follow up. Subjective evaluation of pain showed significantly greater proportion of patient with good to excellent pain relief in group receiving medial branch block. Analgesic requirement was significantly less in group CMB compared to group TP during follow up. Conclusion: Cervical medial branch block with local anaesthetic and steroid may provide long-term relief in patients with chronic neck pain than trigger point injection with no major incidence of complications in either group.

Comparison of a Multi-tined Cannula Versus a Conventional Cannula for Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation in Chronic Neck Pain

Comparison of a Multi-tined Cannula Versus a Conventional Cannula for Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation in Chronic Neck Pain