Keywords:
Surgery, Ablation procedures, MR, Neuroradiology spine, Musculoskeletal spine, Arthritides
Authors:
M. Bonython1, T. Nottage2, L. Xu2, M. Zotti2, T. Fisher2, M. Selby2; 1NT/AU, 2SA/AU
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2019/R-0092
Results
Patient Data
There were 23 patients eligible for analysis, comprising of 13 females (57%) and 10 males (43%) with a mean age of 65 years (range 31-86). All patients had 6-week follow up MRIs and 15 had 24-week scans. All patients underwent bilateral RFJD of at least the two levels of interest, with most having denervation at additional levels. A total of 122 MRI scans were analysed.
Multifidus (MM) Fig. 5 Fig. 6
There was a statistically significant reduction in size of multifidus over the 24 week period in both total MM CSA in L4/5 (5%, 0=0.012) and L5/S1 (6%, p=0.010), as well as lean MM CSA at L4/5 (9%, p=0.002). There was a reduction in lean MM CSA at L5/S1 although it did not reach statistical significance (9%, p=0.076).
Erector Spinae (ES) Fig. 7
There was no statistically significant change in size in total or fat-subtracted ES CSA over the study period.
Other outcomes:
The degree of central canal stenosis, intervertebral disc and facet joint degeneration or neuroforaminal stenosis had no significant effect on the degree of change in MM or ES CSA over the given time period.