The Influence of Coccygeal Dynamic Patterns in Ganglion Impar Block for the Treatment of Chronic Refractory...

Patients with persistent coccygodynia who do not respond to conventional therapies may undergo ganglion impar block (GIB). We looked at how GIB therapy for individuals with persistent coccygodynia affected their coccygeal dynamic patterns.

Patients with persistent coccydynia with GIB once using a trans-Sacro-coccygeal technique with fluoroscopy supervision were taken up for the study. Out of 14 patients, they were categorized as Group I- mobile coccyx (8 patients) and Group 2- immobile coccyx (6 patients) using static and dynamic coccyx radiographs, based on coccygeal mobility. A visual analog score (VAS) was used to measure pain levels both before and after the intervention (at 1 hour and 2, 4 weeks). A VAS score drop of 50% or more was considered to be a meaningful reduction in pain.

On every subsequent visit, the VAS scores were considerably lower in both groups, the pre- and post-intervention VAS scores significantly differed between the two groups. In follow-up, there was no significant difference in the scores between the two groups.

Normal and immobile coccyges detected by standard and dynamic radiographs of patients with chronic coccydynia appear to be two different coccygeal dynamic patterns that do not affect the treatment outcome in Ganglion Impar Block.