Fluoroscopy Guided Lumbar Facet Joint Injection Versus Ultrasound Guided Injection in Patients With Low Back Pain Due to Facet Syndrome

Fluoroscopy guided Facet joint injection (The patient will be placed in the prone position with a pillow under the abdomen to correct the lumbar lordosis. The joint to be injected is located and marked, the x ray tube is then slowly rotated till the joint appear in profile as two parallel lines. After cleaning and drapping and administration of local anesthesia a22-g spinal needle is inserted in line with x-ray beam till bony contact is felt. All procedures will be performed under sterile conditions. Each facet joint is infiltrated with a mixture containing 0.5 ml of 0.25 % bupivacaine and 0.5 ml (20mg) methylprednisolone acetate injected into the joint.)

Ultrsound guided Facet joint injection (Patients will be placed in a prone position. The needle is inserted 1-2 cm laterally from the midline at the lateral end of the transducer and precisely positioned in the US plane at an angle of approximately 45o with respect to the axial plane)