J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2006 Oct;40(4):256-261.

The Effect of Lumbar Medial Branch Block on Low Back Pain

• Kim KT
• Park SW
• Kim YB
• Hong HJ
• Kwon JT
• Hwang SN

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to establish the benefit and prognostic factors of lumbar medial branch block(MBB) for low back pain.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis was based on the data obtained from 281 patients with low back pain, who visited our hospital between January 2001 and November 2004. Pain relief was evaluated at 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months. The authors analyzed the results of MBB according to the patient's age, sex, symptom duration, pathologic condition, and presence of radiating pain.
RESULTS
Two hundred eighty one patients had sprain (151), lumbar fracture (27), spinal stenosis (50), herniated lumbar disc (24) acute post-operative pain (8), and chronic post-operative pain (21) with success rate of 63.6%, 59.3%, 26.0%, 25.0%, 87.5% and 42.9%, respectively. The effects of MBB in sprain, lumbar fracture, and acute post-operative pain were significantly better than those in stenosis, hern iated lumbar disc and chronic post-operative pain patients. The patients in young age group (<60 years), with short symptom duration (<6 months) and without radiating pain showed good response to lumbar MBB.
CONCLUSION
The lumbar MBB appears to be safe and effective for low back pain in certain selected patients. Good prognostic factors were low back pain without surgical conditions and radiating pain, with short symptom duration (<6 months), and in relatively young age (<60 years) group.

Keyword

Low back pain; Posterior primary ramus medial branch nerve block; Prognostic factor

MeSH Terms

Constriction, Pathologic
Humans
Low Back Pain*
Retrospective Studies
Spinal Stenosis
Sprains and Strains