SynthesisEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2016
Intra-articular facet joint injections for low back pain: a systematic review.
Synthesis in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04822753 (A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Platelet Rich Plasma), which is not on this map. Cited by 22 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for Facet Mediated Lumbar Low Back Pain
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Lumbar Facet Joint Blocks and Predictive Value before Radiofrequency Denervation: The Facet Treatment Study (FACTS), a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.Anesthesiology · 2018Trial
- Spatial Investigation of Facet Joint Cartilage Properties Reveals Specific Structure-Function Relationships.JOR spine · 2026Article
- Article
- Effectiveness of a Facet Joint Block Versus a Medial Branch Block in Spinal Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Neurospine · 2025Article
- Glucocorticoid facet joint injection for chronic back or neck pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Article
- Comparison of the Efficacy of Different Radiofrequency Techniques for the Treatment of Lumbar Facet Joint Pain: Combined with Anatomy.Current pain and headache reports · 2024Review
- Revisiting Therapeutic Facet Joint Injections for Chronic Spinal Pain: A Case Series.Orthopedic reviews · 2024Article
- Association Between Lumbar Spine Disorder and Genovarum: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2024Article
- International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery Statement: Restorative Neurostimulation for Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain Resulting From Neuromuscular Instability.International journal of spine surgery · 2023Article
- The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) Evidence-Based Clinical Guideline of Interventional Treatments for Low Back Pain.Journal of pain research · 2022Review
- Conservative Treatment and Percutaneous Pain Relief Techniques in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: WFNS Spine Committee Recommendations.World neurosurgery: X · 2020Article
- Intra-articular facet joint steroid injection-related adverse events encountered during 11,980 procedures.European radiology · 2020Article
- Does ultrasound-guided facet joint injection reduce pain and improve mobility in patients with failed back surgery syndrome?Joint diseases and related surgery · 2020Article
- Outcome of intra-articular lumbar facet joint corticosteroid injection according to the severity of facet joint arthritis.Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2019Article
- Observational
- Trends in lumbar radiofrequency ablation utilization from 2007 to 2016.The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society · 2019Article
- Article
- Cryopreserved amniotic membrane and umbilical cord particulate for managing pain caused by facet joint syndrome: A case series.Medicine · 2019Article
- Fluoroscopically Guided Facet Injections: Comparison of Intra-Articular and Periarticular Steroid and Anesthetic Injection on Immediate and Short-Term Pain Relief.AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology · 2018Article
- Comparative Analysis of Bone Structural Parameters Reveals Subchondral Cortical Plate Resorption and Increased Trabecular Bone Remodeling in Human Facet Joint Osteoarthritis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeEvidence supporting the use of therapeutic intra-articular facet joint injections for patients with suspected facet joint pain is sparse. A systematic review including a narrative synthesis was carried out to determine if intra-articular facet joint injections with active drug are more effective in reducing back pain and back pain-related disability than a sham procedure or a placebo/inactive injection. Secondly, to determine if intra-articular facet joint injections with active drug or placebo/inactive injection are more effective in reducing back pain and back pain-related disability than conservative treatment.
methodsMedline, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Index to Chiropractic Literature and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception through April 2015. Data were screened and single extraction with independent verification and risk of bias assessment was performed.
resultsA total of 391 records were screened, and six trials were included. The trials included were small (range 18-109 participants) and overall in terms of pain and disability outcomes most were inconclusive. Only two of the trials report any significant between-group differences in pain (mean difference -1.0, 95% CI -2.0 to -0.1) and (p = 0.032) or disability (mean difference -3.0, 95% CI -6.2 to 0.2) and (p = 0.013) outcomes.
conclusionsThe studies found here were clinically diverse and precluded any meta-analysis. A number of methodological issues were identified. The positive results, whilst interpreted with caution, do suggest that there is a need for further high-quality work in this area.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.