Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Intra-Articular Facet Joint Injection of Normal Saline for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Version 1 : Received: 7 May 2023 / Approved: 9 May 2023 / Online: 9 May 2023 (04:22:14 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Suputtitada, A.; Nopsopon, T.; Rittiphairoj, T.; Pongpirul, K. Intra-Articular Facet Joint Injection of Normal Saline for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina 2023, 59, 1038. Suputtitada, A.; Nopsopon, T.; Rittiphairoj, T.; Pongpirul, K. Intra-Articular Facet Joint Injection of Normal Saline for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina 2023, 59, 1038.

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the patient-reported outcomes of intra-articular facet joint injections of normal saline and selected active substances to identify a more effective agent for treating subacute and chronic low back pain (LBP). Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases were searched for randomized controlled trials and observational studies published in English. A research quality assessment was performed using ROB2 and ROBINS-I. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model, and the mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in efficacy outcomes, including pain, numbness, disability, and quality of life, were assessed. Results: Of the 2,467 potential studies, three were included (247 patients). The active substances and normal saline had similar therapeutic effects on pain within 1 h, after 1-1.5 months, and after 3-6 months, with MD and 95% CI of 2.43 and -11.61 to 16.50, -0.63 and -7.97 to 6.72, and 1.90 and -16.03 to 19.83, respectively, as well as the quality of life after 1 and 6 months. Conclusion: The short- and long-term clinical effects of intra-articular facet joint injections of normal saline are comparable to those of other active substances in patients with LBP.

Keywords

Facet joint injection; Chronic low back pain; Normal saline; Meta-analysis; Patient Reported Clinical Outcomes

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.