LUMBAR FACET ARTHROPATHY

Course overview

THE LUMBAR ZYGAPOPHYSIAL JOINT, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS FACET JOINT, IS A COMMON GENERATOR OF LOWER BACK PAIN. THE FACET JOINT IS FORMED VIA THE POSTEROLATERAL ARTICULATION CONNECTING THE INFERIOR ARTICULAR PROCESS OF A GIVEN VERTEBRA WITH THE SUPERIOR ARTICULAR PROCESS OF THE BELOW ADJACENT VERTEBRA. THE FACET JOINT IS A TRUE SYNOVIAL JOINT, CONTAINING A SYNOVIAL MEMBRANE, HYALINE CARTILAGE SURFACES, AND SURROUNDED BY A FIBROUS JOINT CAPSULE. THERE IS A MENISCOID STRUCTURE FORMED WITHIN THE INTRA-ARTICULAR FOLDS. THE FACET JOINT IS DUALLY INNERVATED BY THE MEDIAL BRANCHES ARISING FROM THE POSTERIOR RAMUS AT THE SAME LEVEL AND ONE LEVEL ABOVE THE JOINT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF LUMBAR FACET ARTHROPATHY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.