| Summary: | Purpose We retrospectively evaluated the technical success rate and long-term efficacy of fluoroscopy-
guided synovial cyst rupture followed by an intra-articular steroid injection at the
post-laminectomy lumbar facet.
Materials and Methods We selected subjects who had undergone a fluoroscopy-guided synovial
cyst rupture with simultaneous intra-articular steroid injection within 6 months of MRI and
demonstrated a symptomatic facet joint synovial cyst at the level of a previous lumbar laminectomy.
Fourteen patients were enrolled, and we determined whether cyst rupture and symptom
improvement were achieved after each procedure. The degrees of symptom improvement
were categorized into 4: 1) symptoms improved (30% or more reduction, based on pre-procedural
and post-procedural Numerical Pain Rating Scale scores), 2) symptoms not improved, 3) patient
underwent surgery after injection, and 4) loss of follow-up.
Results The success rate of percutaneous synovial cyst rupture decreased with repeated procedures
(62.5% for the first procedure and 0% to 33.3% for additional procedures). However,
80% of the patients had symptom improvement with the procedures, overall. The surgery rate
was 14.3% in 14 patients.
Conclusion For patients with post-laminectomy symptomatic lumbar facet joint synovial
cysts, fluoroscopy-guided synovial cyst rupture with intra-articular steroid injection may be
an effective and less invasive treatment before considering a surgical approach.
|
|---|