The Bonati Institute Glossary: Facet Joint Syndrome

The mission of The Bonati Institute is to provide hope to people suffering with chronic pain from a back or neck condition. We believe that a well-informed patient is vital to restoring hope and finding answers to pain. We developed this web site primarily to help educate pain sufferers and their families. We’ve found that the more individuals in pain learn about their anatomy, their condition and the options available to them the more likely they will be to choose the advanced arthroscopic procedures offered by The Bonati Institute.

Facet Joint Syndrome

The facet joints are the connections between the vertebrae of the spine. They are like any other joint in the body that enables the bending or twisting movements of the spine.

The facet joints can get inflamed by injury or arthritis resulting in pain and stiffness. Facet Joint Syndrome is the degeneration of the cartilage that cushions and protects the facet joints. Facet Joint Syndrome is usually the result of a more widespread condition affecting the back.

Causes

Osteoarthritis is the main cause of Facet Joint Syndrome. Spinal osteoarthritis is a normal part of the aging process for most people. Everyone will have some degree of osteoarthritis and facet joint degeneration, as they age. Yet, bones spurs can build up around the facet joints and can cause some pain or symptoms. Occasionally, they can also compress a nerve, or cause sciatica.

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) can also cause Facet Joint Syndrome. As the discs thin and lose height, the vertebral bones become closer to one another. This increases the friction between the bones.

It is thought that gymnasts, and certain athletes, are more susceptible to facet syndrome, due to additional wear and tear on their vertebrae. A better explanation is that they suffer the same degeneration as the rest of us, just at an earlier age.

Facet Joint Syndrome in the cervical spine typically causes headaches and difficulty rotating the head. Pain can be felt in other areas such as the shoulders or mid-back area.

Symptoms

Low back pain is commonly caused by Facet Joint Syndrome in the lumbar spine. Pain can also be felt in the buttock as well in the thighs usually not going below the knee. Inflammation of these joints can cause stiffness and difficulty standing up straight and getting up out of a chair. People who suffer from Facet Joint Syndrome in the lumbar spine typically complain that they walk in a hunched over position.

The diagnosis of Facet Joint Syndrome can be confirmed by an injection of local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory medication into the joints that are affected.

Probable Treatment

The Bonati Arthroscopic Laser Facet Debridement

This procedure is designed as an answer to:

• Severe lower back pain that may radiate into the buttocks
• Pain that has not responded to conventional treatments such as rest, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and physical therapy
• Pain from Degenerative Joint Disease confirmed by X-rays
• Pain from previously failed surgeries with persistent back/buttock pain

Facet joints, which connect bones in the spine, facilitate motion. Each vertebra has two sets of facet joints, with one pair facing upward and one downward. The joints, which are located at the back of the spine, are like hinges that link the vertebrae together. Debridement is the surgical removal of torn, inflamed, contaminated, damaged or dead tissue.

This surgical procedure uses specially-designed probes and the Holmium YAG Laser to remove pain-inducing tissue in nerve branches above and below the affected facet joints on the spine

This procedure is performed by numbing the skin with local anesthesia and inserting a small tube down through a small incision. A miniaturized fiber optic television camera is used to visualize the passageway and the exact problem area. Using a laser, the surgeon vaporizes the painful nerves around the diseased area. Most patients experience relief with a short recovery time.

A Bonati Facet Debridement usually takes less than 10 minutes and many patients feel immediate relief following this procedure.

The benefits of this procedure

• Fewer risks, local anesthesia, a small incision
• Minimal blood loss
• Short recuperation time
• Minimal damage to tissues
• Surgeries are done in an outpatient setting
• Patient sees a faster return to a normal lifestyle