Arthrography of the lumbar facet joint and facet block

In spite of numerous clinical and patho-anatomical studies made in the past there are still different opinionsconcerning the mechanism of low back pain. We have focused attention on the posterior structures as an alternavitesource of low vack pain with sciatica. So we have studied and analyzed the finding of arthrography of facet jointand effect of the injection of methyiprednisolone acetatate suspension(Depomedrol) 20mg into the each facet joint.Our results are as follows: 1. Abnormal findings of facet joint arthrogram were degenerative osteroarthritis offacet(70.5%), synovial cyst (11.8%), accessory bone (11.8%), and spondylolysis(5.9%). 2. The mean facetangulations of patients of facet sydrome were abnormal on lower lumbar facet joint in 9 of 13 cases (69.2%). 3. Oninitial assessment, 11 of 17 cases (64.7%) showed complete relief and one month later, 6 of 11 cases(35.3%) showedcontinous relief, after steroid injection.