scholarly journals Transforaminal Epiduroscopic Basivertebral Nerve Laser Ablation for Chronic Low Back Pain Associated with Modic Changes: A Preliminary Open-Label Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeun Sung Kim ◽  
Nitin Adsul ◽  
Farid Yudoyono ◽  
Byapak Paudel ◽  
Ki Joon Kim ◽  
...  

Background. Chronic low back pain (CLBP) arising from degenerative disc disease continues to be a challenging clinical and diagnostic problem whether treated with nonsurgical, pain intervention, or motion-preserving stabilization and arthrodesis. Methods. Fourteen patients with CLBP, greater than 6 months, unresponsive to at least 4 months of conservative care were enrolled. All patients were treated successfully following screening using MRI findings of Modic type I or II changes and positive confirmatory provocative discography to determine the affected levels. All patients underwent ablation of the basivertebral nerve (BVN) using 1414 nm Nd:YAG laser-assisted energy guided in a transforaminal epiduroscopic approach. Macnab’s criteria and visual analog scale (VAS) score were collected retrospectively at each follow-up interval. Results. The mean age was 46 ± 9.95 years. The mean symptoms duration was 21.21 ± 21.87 months. The mean follow-up was 15.3 ± 2.67 months. The preoperative VAS score of 7.79 ± 0.97 changed to 1.92 ± 1.38, postoperatively (P<0.01). As per Macnab’s criteria, seven patients (50%) had excellent, six patients (42.85%) had good, and one patient (7.14%) had fair outcomes. Conclusion. The transforaminal epiduroscopic basivertebral nerve laser ablation (TEBLA) appears to be a promising option in carefully selected patients with CLBP associated with the Modic changes.

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e035461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margreth Grotle ◽  
Lars Christian Bråten ◽  
Jens Ivar Brox ◽  
Ansgar Espeland ◽  
Zinajda Zolic-Karlsson ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo evaluate the cost–utility of 100 days of antibiotics in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) and type I or II Modic changes included in the Antibiotic treatment In patients with chronic low back pain and Modic changes (AIM) study.DesignA cost–utility analysis from a societal and healthcare perspective alongside a double-blinded, parallel group, placebo, multicentre trial.SettingHospital outpatient clinics at six hospitals in Norway. The main results from the AIM study showed a small effect in back-related disability in favour of the antibiotics group, and slightly larger in those with type I Modic changes, but this effect was below the pre-defined threshold for clinically relevant effect.Participants180 patients with chronic LBP, previous disc herniation and Modic changes type I (n=118) or type II (n=62) were randomised to antibiotic treatment (n=89) or placebo-control (n=91).InterventionsOral treatment with either 750 mg amoxicillin or placebo three times daily for 100 days.Main outcome measuresQuality-adjusted life years (QALYs) by EuroQoL-5D over 12 months and costs for healthcare and productivity loss measured in Euro (€1=NOK 10), in the intention-to-treat population. Cost–utility was expressed in incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).ResultsMean (SD) total cost was €21 046 (20 105) in the amoxicillin group and €19 076 (19 356) in the placebo group, mean difference €1970 (95% CI; −3835 to 7774). Cost per QALY gained was €24 625. In those with type I Modic changes, the amoxicillin group had higher healthcare consumption than the placebo group, resulting in €39 425 per QALY gained. Given these ICERs and a willingness-to-pay threshold of €27 500 (NOK 275 000), the probability of amoxicillin being cost-effective was 51%. Even when the willingness-to-pay threshold increased to €55 000, the probability of amoxicillin being cost-effective was never higher than 53%.ConclusionsAmoxicillin treatment showed no evidence of being cost-effective for people with chronic LBP and Modic changes during 1-year follow-up.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov NCT02323412.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Dehli Vigeland ◽  
Siri Tennebø Flåm ◽  
Magnus Dehli Vigeland ◽  
Ansgar Espeland ◽  
Per Martin Kristoffersen ◽  
...  

AbstractDisability and distress caused by chronic low back pain (LBP) lacking clear pathoanatomical explanations cause huge problems both for patients and society. A subgroup of patients has Modic changes (MC), identifiable by MRI as vertebral bone marrow lesions. The cause of such changes and their relationship to pain are not yet understood. We explored the pathobiology of these lesions using profiling of gene expression in blood, coupled with an edema-sensitive MRI technique known as short tau inversion recovery (STIR) imaging. STIR images and total RNA from blood were collected from 96 patients with chronic LBP and MC type I, the most inflammatory MC state. We found the expression of 37 genes significantly associated with STIR signal volume, ten genes with edema abundancy (a constructed combination of STIR signal volume, height, and intensity), and one gene with expression levels significantly associated with maximum STIR signal intensity. Gene sets related to interferon signaling, mitochondrial metabolism and defense response to virus were identified as significantly enriched among the upregulated genes in all three analyses. Our results point to inflammation and immunological defense as important players in MC biology in patients with chronic LBP.


Author(s):  
Sedat Dalbayrak ◽  
Ahmet Öğrenci ◽  
Ezgi Akar ◽  
Orkun Koban ◽  
Mesut Yılmaz

AbstractSince pseudoarthrosis or screw loosening is frequently seen in lumbosacral stabilizations ending in S1, S2 screws are used more frequently to support S1 screws. This study aims to describe a new screw placement technique and location from S2. Revision surgery was applied to the patient who had previously undergone surgery with the rigid instrumentation system and encountered pseudoarthrosis during the follow-up period. Instrumentation was performed from S2 to the promontorium. The patient’s chronic low back pain arising due to pseudoarthrosis was reduced and a strong lumbosacral dynamic instrumentation was performed to the patient. Dual screw placement from S2 and/or screw placement in the S2-promontorium direction is a new alternative to provide a powerful instrumentation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ouidade A. Tabesh ◽  
Roba Ghossan ◽  
Soha H Zebouni ◽  
Rafic Faddoul ◽  
Michel Revel ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim. To evaluate ultrasonography findings of Thoracolumbar Fascia (TLF) enthesis in patients with low back pain (LBP) due to iliac crest pain syndrome (ICPS). Method. The ultrasonographic and clinical findings of 60 patients with LBP due to ICPS were compared to those of 30 healthy volunteers with no LBP. Thickness of the TLF was measured with ultrasound (US) at its insertion on the iliac crest. Results. Forty-eight women and 12 men with a mean age of 42.1±11.3 years were diagnosed with ICPS. In patients, the mean thickness of the TLF was 2.51±0.70mm in affected sides compared to 1.81±0.44mm in the contralateral unaffected sides. The mean thickness difference of 0.82mm between the affected and non-affected sides was statistically significant (95%CI, 0.64-0.99, P<0.0001). In volunteers, the mean thickness of the TLF was 1.6±0.2mm. The mean thickness difference of 0.89mm between the affected sides of patients and volunteers was statistically significant (95%CI, 0.73-1.06, P<0.0001). Forty-two patients who didn’t improve with conservative therapy, received injections of methylprednisolone acetate and 1% lidocaine around the TLF enthesis. All patients reported complete relief of their LBP within 20 minutes of the injections thanks to the lidocaine anesthetic effect. Fifty-six (93.3%) patients were reached by phone for a long-term follow-up. Among them, 33 (58.9%) patients experienced a sustained complete pain relief after a mean follow-up of 45±19.3 months (range, 3-74 months). Conclusion. our findings suggest that TLF enthesopathy is a potential cause of nonspecific LBP that can be diagnosed using US.


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (12) ◽  
pp. 1275-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo O.P. Costa ◽  
Christopher G. Maher ◽  
Jane Latimer ◽  
Paul W. Hodges ◽  
Robert D. Herbert ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe evidence that exercise intervention is effective for treatment of chronic low back pain comes from trials that are not placebo-controlled.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of motor control exercise for people with chronic low back pain.DesignThis was a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.SettingThe study was conducted in an outpatient physical therapy department in Australia.PatientsThe participants were 154 patients with chronic low back pain of more than 12 weeks’ duration.InterventionTwelve sessions of motor control exercise (ie, exercises designed to improve function of specific muscles of the low back region and the control of posture and movement) or placebo (ie, detuned ultrasound therapy and detuned short-wave therapy) were conducted over 8 weeks.MeasurementsPrimary outcomes were pain intensity, activity (measured by the Patient-Specific Functional Scale), and patient's global impression of recovery measured at 2 months. Secondary outcomes were pain; activity (measured by the Patient-Specific Functional Scale); patient's global impression of recovery measured at 6 and 12 months; activity limitation (measured by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) at 2, 6, and 12 months; and risk of persistent or recurrent pain at 12 months.ResultsThe exercise intervention improved activity and patient's global impression of recovery but did not clearly reduce pain at 2 months. The mean effect of exercise on activity (measured by the Patient-Specific Functional Scale) was 1.1 points (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.3 to 1.8), the mean effect on global impression of recovery was 1.5 points (95% CI=0.4 to 2.5), and the mean effect on pain was 0.9 points (95% CI=−0.01 to 1.8), all measured on 11-point scales. Secondary outcomes also favored motor control exercise.LimitationClinicians could not be blinded to the intervention they provided.ConclusionsMotor control exercise produced short-term improvements in global impression of recovery and activity, but not pain, for people with chronic low back pain. Most of the effects observed in the short term were maintained at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Hsing Yeh ◽  
Cuicui Li ◽  
Ronald Glick ◽  
Elizabeth A. Schlenk ◽  
Kathryn Albers ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a major health problem and the most common pain condition among those 60 years of age or older in the US. Despite the development of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, cLBP outcomes have not improved and disability rates continue to rise. This study aims to test auricular point acupressure (APA) as a non-invasive, nonpharmacological self-management strategy to manage cLBP and to address current shortcomings of cLBP treatment. Methods: For this prospective randomized controlled study, participants will be randomly assigned into three groups: (1) APA (active points related to cLBP), (2) Comparison Group -1 (non-active points, unrelated to cLBP), (3) Comparison Group-2 (enhanced educational control, an educational booklet on cLBP will be given and the treatment used by participants for their cLBP will be recorded). The ecological momentary assessment smartphone app will be used to collect real-time cLBP outcomes and adherence to APA practice. Treatment and nonspecific psychological placebo effects will be measured via questionnaires for all participants. This proposed trial will evaluate the APA sustained effects for cLBP at 12-month follow-up. Monthly phone follow-up will be used to collect study outcomes. Blood will be collected during study visits at baseline, post-APA treatment, and follow-up study visits at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-months post-completion of treatment for a total of 7 assessments. Appointments will start between 9 and 11 am to control for circadian variation in cytokine levels. Discussion: This study is expected to provide vital information on the efficacy, sustainability, and underlying mechanism of APA on cLBP necessary for APA to gain acceptance from both healthcare providers and patients, which would provide a strong impetus for including APA as part of cLBP management in clinical and home settings. Trial registration: NCT03589703, Registered on May 22, 2018 Keywords: Chronic low back pain, auricular point acupressure, older adults, cytokines


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