Noh Sung Hyeon, Kim Kyoung-Tae, Shin Dong Ah, Yun Je Hwi, Cho Pyung Goo, Kim Sang Hyun
Department of Neurosurgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
Department of Neurosurgery, Bokwang Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
Neurospine. 2025 Jun;22(2):441-450. doi: 10.14245/ns.2550384.192. Epub 2025 Jun 30.
Facet joint injections (FJIs) and medial branch blocks (MBBs) are commonly used interventions for chronic spinal pain, but their comparative effectiveness remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the pain relief, functional improvement, complications, and patient satisfaction associated with FJI and MBB.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies were conducted. Primary outcomes included pain relief (numerical rating scale) and functional improvement (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]/Neck Disability Index). Secondary outcomes assessed adverse effects and patient satisfaction. The differences in characteristics between patients who were readmitted and those who were not were identified and analyzed using the Review Manager software.
FJI resulted in lower pain and ODI scores compared to MBB, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the FJI group (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.24; p=0.04). Additionally, FJI had fewer adverse effects than MBB.
Both FJI and MBB are effective for chronic spinal pain, but FJI may be preferred for patients seeking immediate pain relief with fewer complications. Further high-quality studies are needed to refine treatment guidelines.
小关节突关节注射(FJIs)和内侧支阻滞(MBBs)是慢性脊柱疼痛常用的干预措施,但其相对有效性仍不明确。本荟萃分析旨在比较FJIs和MBBs在疼痛缓解、功能改善、并发症及患者满意度方面的差异。
对随机对照试验和观察性研究进行系统评价和荟萃分析。主要结局指标包括疼痛缓解(数字评分量表)和功能改善(奥斯威斯利功能障碍指数[ODI]/颈部功能障碍指数)。次要结局指标评估不良反应和患者满意度。使用Review Manager软件识别并分析再次入院患者与未再次入院患者在特征上的差异。
与MBBs相比,FJIs导致更低的疼痛和ODI评分,但差异无统计学意义。然而,FJIs组患者满意度显著更高(优势比,1.81;95%置信区间,1.02 - 3.24;p = 0.04)。此外,FJIs的不良反应比MBBs少。
FJIs和MBBs对慢性脊柱疼痛均有效,但对于寻求立即缓解疼痛且并发症较少的患者,FJIs可能更受青睐。需要进一步开展高质量研究以完善治疗指南。