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Facet pain in thoracic compression fractures
Raj Mitra1, Huy Do, Todd Alamin
1Stanford School of Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Redwood City, California 940663, USA. rmitra@stanford.edu
Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.)
|October 30, 2010
Summary
Thoracic facet joints can be a secondary pain source in compression fractures. Intra-articular facet injections provided significant, long-lasting pain relief in a small case series.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Pain Management
- Spinal Surgery
Background:
- Vertebral compression fractures traditionally implicate the vertebral body as the primary pain source.
- Increased thoracic kyphosis secondary to compression fractures elevates flexion moments, increasing shear stress on posterior elements.
Observation:
- This study presents a case series of two patients with thoracic compression fractures.
- Patients received fluoroscopically guided intra-articular facet steroid injections for pain management.
Findings:
- Patients experienced significant and prolonged pain reduction following the facet injections.
- The thoracic facet joints were identified as a potential secondary pain generator.
Implications:
- Facet joint pain may be a significant factor in patients with thoracic compression fractures.
- Intra-articular facet blocks present a potential alternative treatment to vertebroplasty for pain management.
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