Korean J Pain.  2024 Jul;37(3):201-210. 10.3344/kjp.23358.

The pros and cons of ultrasound-guided procedures in pain medicine

• Moon JY

• KMID: 2557724
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.23358

Abstract

The application of ultrasound (US) in pain medicine has been a rapidly growing field since the 2000s. Musculoskeletal injections, peripheral nerve blocks, and neuraxial injections under US guidance have been acknowledged for managing chronic pain. Although many studies on US-guided pain procedures have been published, there needs to be a classification system to evaluate which image device, the US or fluoroscopy, is clinically and technically better in various pain interventions. Therefore, this narrative review introduces the classification system for the US-guided pain procedures according to their clinical and technical outcomes and designates US-guided pain procedures into one of the four categories by reviewing previous prospective randomized comparative trials.

Keyword

Chronic Pain; Comparative Study; Fluoroscopy; Musculoskeletal Pain; Nerve Block; Spinal Injections; Ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, Interventional

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Longitudinal US image at the lateral neck. The C2/3 zygapophysial joint is identified in the middle. The arrow indicates the third occipital nerve. The arrowhead shows the C3 medial branch. US: ultrasound.

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  Fig. 2 Transverse short-axis US image with color Doppler at the lateral neck between the C1 and C2 vertebral level in the lateral neck. In this US image, the atlantoaxial joint is located in the middle, the C2 dorsal root ganglion lies medial (arrow), and the vertebral artery runs lateral to the joint. US: ultrasound, AAJ: atlantoaxial joint.

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  Fig. 3 Fluoroscopic lateral and posteroanterior images for the atlantoaxial joint block. The contrast media spreads inside the joint space.

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