gms | German Medical Science

Deutscher Kongress für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DKOU 2014)

28.10. - 31.10.2014, Berlin

Combined facet nerve blocks and gabapentin provide long term relief from chronic lumbar facet arthritis pain

Meeting Abstract

  • presenting/speaker Georgios Mouzopoulos - Kythira General Hospital, 80100, Greece
  • Panagiotis Papagiannopoulos - Niebüll Klinik, Nordfriesland Klinikum, Niebüll, Germany
  • Ioannis Skevofilax - Chios General Hospital, Chios, Greece
  • Anastasia Tsembeli - Kythira General Hospital, 80100, Greece
  • Georgios Nomikos - Chios General Hospital, Chios, Greece
  • Vasilios Vasiliadis - Chios General Hospital, Chios, Greece

Deutscher Kongress für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DKOU 2014). Berlin, 28.-31.10.2014. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2014. DocPO16-846

doi: 10.3205/14dkou659, urn:nbn:de:0183-14dkou6595

Veröffentlicht: 13. Oktober 2014

© 2014 Mouzopoulos et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of combined therapy of chronic lumbar facet arthritis pain, with lumbar facet nerve blocks (rupivacaine/cortisone) and gabapentin.

Methods/subjects: In a controlled randomized double blind study, 142 patients suffering from lumbar facet arthritis pain, were randomly assigned to receive either lumbar facet joint nerve blocks with rupivacaine/cortisone and gabapentin administrated orally (1200 mg daily) for 2 months (Group 1, n=71 patients) or gapabentin alone (Group 2, n=71 patients).

Clinical outcomes were measured with VAS pain scale and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire at baseline, 6 months, 1 and 2 years after the end of therapy. All patients underwent MRI of lumbar spine to establish facet joint arthritis and to exclude other lesions. Each patient received totally 5 injections (1/10 days). Statistical analysis was performed by statistical packet STATA 8.0 and significance was set at p-value <0.05.

Results: Nine patients finally excluded from the study. The VAS pain score decreased significantly from 8.4/10 to 3.8/10 in Group 1 (P<0.05) and from 8.2/10 to 6.8/10 in Group 2 (p>0.05) at 2 years follow up. Roland Morris Disability decreased also significantly from average 15.1/24 to 3.3/24 in Group 1 (p<0.05) and from 15.3/24 to 9.6/24 in Group 2 (p>0.05) at 2 years follow up. Better clinical outcomes were observed in Group 1 (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Combined therapy consisted of lumbar facet joint nerve blocks with rupivacaine and cortisone associated with pregabalin provide long term efficient pain relief in patients suffering from lumbar facet arthritis.