Ultrasounographic assessment of facet joint in the lumbar spine: a feasibility study / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the feasibility and accuracy of ultrasound evaluation of facet joint in the lumbar spine by comparison of ultrasonography and CT measurements in normal and degenerative lumbar vertebra small joint.Methods Fifteen patients with chronic low back pain in Shengjing hospital of China Medical University were taken as the study group,and 20 healthy volunteers as the healthy controls from physical examination center of our hospital between January 2014 and December 2014.The ultrasonic and CT values were measured in L 1-S 1 small joints between normal and abnormal lumbar joints (height and width).The length and width of the left and right side small joints of healthy controls,ultrasonic measurement of healthy controls and patients with chronic low back pain,and value of ultrasonography and CT measurements were compared by using t test.Results The abnormal facet joint can be clearly showed by sonography,characterized by bone hyperplasia of edge joints,bone destruction,wear or thinning/thickening of articular cartilage.For the length and width of the lumber joints,the difference of ultrasonic measurement values between normal and abnormal lumbar joints were statistically significant [(1.26±0.03) cm vs (1.43±0.05) cm,t=2.626,P ＜ 0.05;(0.18±0.01) cm vs (0.15±0.02) cm,t=2.264,P ＜ 0.05].In patient group,the difference of length and width values in a total of 150 small joints between ultrasonography and CT were not statistically significant [(1.43 ± 0.17) cm vs (1.42 ± 0.16) cm],t=1.655,P ＞ 0.05;(0.15 ± 0.03) cm vs (0.14±0.03) cm,t=1.656,P ＞ 0.05].Conclusions The facet joint of the lumbar can be clearly shown by sonography and it is valuable in the diagnosis of small joint degeneration for lumbar vertebra.