The Role of Diagnostic Injections in Spinal Disorders: A Narrative Review

Neck and back pain is increasingly prevalent, and has increased exponentially in recent years. As more resources are dedicated to the diagnosis of pain conditions, it is increasingly important that the diagnostic techniques used are as precise and accurate as possible. Traditional diagnostic methods...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Diagnostics (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 12; p. 2311
Main Authors:	Kim, Brian Y, Concannon, Tyler A, Barboza, Luis C, Khan, Talal W
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland MDPI AG 09-12-2021 MDPI
Subjects:	Ablation Back pain Costs diagnostics discogenic pain facet arthropathy injections lumbar radiculopathy Magnetic resonance imaging Neck pain Patient assessment Review spinal disorders Ultrasonic imaging Validity injections sacroiliac joint dysfunction diagnostics lumbar radiculopathy spinal disorders discography facet arthropathy discogenic pain
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Summary:	Neck and back pain is increasingly prevalent, and has increased exponentially in recent years. As more resources are dedicated to the diagnosis of pain conditions, it is increasingly important that the diagnostic techniques used are as precise and accurate as possible. Traditional diagnostic methods rely heavily upon patient history and physical examination to determine the most appropriate treatments and/or imaging studies. Though traditional means of diagnosis remain a necessity, in many cases, correlation with positive or negative responses to injections may further enhance diagnostic specificity, and improve outcomes by preventing unnecessary treatments or surgeries. This narrative review aims to present the most recent literature describing the diagnostic validity of precision injections, as well as their impact on surgical planning and outcomes. Diagnostic injections are discussed in terms of facet arthropathy, lumbar radiculopathy, discogenic pain and discography, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the use of diagnostic local anesthetic injections or nerve blocks to aid in diagnosis. Spinal injections add valuable objective information that can potentially improve diagnostic precision, guide treatment strategies, and aid in patient selection for invasive surgical interventions.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:	2075-4418 2075-4418
DOI:	10.3390/diagnostics11122311