Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39601282›Full record

ArticleDiagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey)2025

Comparing ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection and medial branch block for lumbar facet joint pain: a clinical study.

Hui Zhao, Yun-Long Hou, Le-Hang Guo, Qiao Wang, Tian He, Guang-Fei Gu, Li-Ping Sun, Feng-Shan Jin

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Diagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Hui ZhaoTongji University Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7627-0419
Yun-Long HouThe First Hospital of Jiaxing, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Zhejiang, China.ORCID 0009-0008-0854-6151
Le-Hang GuoTongji University Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5685-1280
Qiao WangTongji University Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4084-8607
Tian HeTongji University Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0004-7924-3247
Guang-Fei GuShanghai Tenth People's Hospital Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6802-164X
Li-Ping SunTongji University Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4301-4520
Feng-Shan JinTongji University Faculty of Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0003-2207-4505

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study aims to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided intra-articular (IA) injections with medial branch nerve blocks in treating lumbar facet joint pain.

methodsThis retrospective study enrolled 94 patients clinically diagnosed with lumbar facet joint pain. Diagnostic blocks confirmed the diagnosis in 82 patients, evidenced by a pain visual analog score (VAS) reduction of at least 50% immediately following the injection. Of these, 42 were treated with ultrasound-guided IA injections (group 1), and 40 received ultrasound-guided medial branch blocks (group 2). Effective pain relief was defined as a VAS reduction of at least 50%.

resultsGroup 1 showed significantly higher pain relief rates compared with group 2 at both 1-month (54.76% versus 2.5%,

conclusionUltrasound-guided IA injection provides better pain relief compared with medial branch nerve blocks. This method serves as a viable alternative for patients, especially younger and middle-aged patients with lumbar facet pain due to sedentary lifestyles. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study compared and analyzed the therapeutic effects of two different ultrasound intervention blockade methods on patients with lumbar facet joint pain, demonstrating that IA injection has a better pain relief effect and can be used as a pain relief method for patients who refuse radiofrequency therapy.

Indexed as

ArthralgiaLow Back PainNerve BlockUltrasonography, InterventionalZygapophyseal JointAdultAgedAnesthetics, LocalFemaleHumansInjections, Intra-ArticularLumbar VertebraeMaleMiddle AgedPain ManagementPain MeasurementAnesthetics, Localintra-articular injectionLumbar facet joint painmedial branch blockpain visualanalog scoreultrasound-guided

Identifiers

PMID39601282
PMCPMC12057530

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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.