COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN LUMBAR FACETARY BLOCKADE PERFORMED BY USG X FLUOROSCOPY IN PATIENTS WITH LUMBAR FACETARY SYNDROME

ABSTRACT Introduction: Chronic low back pain is a major cause of disability, especially in patients with lumbar facet syndrome. Lumbar medial branch block can be guided by fluoroscopy or ultrasound, aiming to relieve pain and improve functional capacity. This study compared the efficacy of both techniques. Methods: A retrospective observational study evaluated data from 30 patients with lumbar facet syndrome and divided them into two groups: USG (n = 15) and FS (n = 15). Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale and functional capacity by the Oswestry Disability Index before and 1 month after the procedure. Statistical analysis included the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Both groups showed positive results. The USG group showed a reduction of 4.20 points in VAS (p < 0.001) and 25.07 points in ODI (p < 0.001), while the FS group showed a reduction of 5.67 points in VAS (p < 0.001) and 31.2 points in ODI (p < 0.001). The two techniques had no statistically significant difference (p = 0.93 for ODI and p = 0.53 for VAS). Conclusion: USG- and FS-guided block techniques are equally effective in reducing pain and improving functional capacity in patients with lumbar facet syndrome. Level of Evidence IV; Retrospective, Observational Study.