The Effect of Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid in Facet Syndrome of the Lumbar Spine

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection and to compare this with the efficacy of steroid injection for the treatment of facet syndrome of the lumbar spine. METHOD: Sixty-eight patients with facet syndrome of the lumbar spine were assigned two groups at random to receive an intra-articular injection into the facet joint. One group received a intra-articular injection of the facet joint three times at 1 week apart with a mixture of hyaluronic acid 0.6~0.7 ml and 1% lidocaine 0.2 ml. The other group received a intra-articular injection of the facet joint one time with a mixture of triamcinolone 10 mg and 1% lidocaine 0.5~1 ml. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed with the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the patient's life activities were assessed with the modified Oswestry questionnaire. RESULTS: The VAS and the patient's life activity of the two groups all showed improvement at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after injection, but there was no significant difference in the VAS scores and the patient's life activity scores between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid would be a good treatment method for facet syndrome of the lumbar spine.