ABSTRACT

One of the most important causes of adult back pain is degeneration of the facet joints. There are some conflictive data in literature concerning the connection between degeneration of the facet joints and severity of pain. In order to make this conflict clear, a retrospective / comparative study has been planned. The objective of this study is searching any correlation between MRI study records and scores of pain.

In this study, every facet joints four vertebral levels of 76 patients who are admitted to hospital with back pain in first 6 months of the year 2010. Their pain scored numerically and MRI of affected areas obtained for entire patients. Degenerations of facet joints evaluated from 1 to 5 and their statistical correlation with pain scores explored. Average age of group determined as 43.1 ± 11.4 (32-64) and the female/male ratio was 2.3 ± 1.7 (44/32). Mean degree of facet joint degeneration appointed as 2.3 ± 1.7 (1-5) and the average pain score was 4.8 ± 3.3 (1-10). In this study there were no significant correlation between degeneration of the facet joints and severity of pain (r: 0.012, p > 0.05). Also no statistical based significant correlation has been found with the intensity of back pain, neural cladicatio and neural findings (r: 0.014, p > 0.05). On the other hand, the proration of degeneration of facet joint and neural sufferings has no significant correlation each other (r: 0.018, p > 0.05).

As a conclusion, this study illuminated that there were no correlation between back pain, neural sufferings and degeneration of the facet joints. On the basis of above-mentioned findings it is claimed to consider clinical and objective radiologic findings primarily before same patientʼs complaints at the moment and determine of the method of the treatment.