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Thoracic Medial Branch Block and Denervation

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Interventional Pain

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Abstract

Thoracic medial branch diagnostic injection and radiofrequency ablation are commonly performed for chronic facet-related back pain. This chapter provides a step-by-step guide on how to perform this intervention safely and shows all the relevant C-arm and needle positions that need to be demonstrated during the Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP) exam administered by the World Institute of Pain (WIP). Both native and edited high-quality images are included, so the fluoroscopy anatomy is more easily understood.

Possible complications of the procedures and common reasons for failure at the FIPP exam are also outlined. Evidence for the procedure is provided based on the available literature reviewed by the Benelux section of WIP and also by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP).

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Suggested Reading

  • Chua WH, Bogduk N. The surgical anatomy of thoracic facet denervation. Acta Neurochir. 1995;136:140–4.

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  • Lee DG, et al. Comparison of intra-articular thoracic facet joint steroid injection and thoracic medial branch block for the management of thoracic facet joint pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2018;43(2):76–80.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Member, World Institute of Pain Singular Pain Management Center, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Charles A. Oliveira

Authors
  1. Charles A. Oliveira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Charles A. Oliveira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Member, Education Committee, World Institute of Pain, Vice Chair, Hungarian Section, World Institute of Pain, St Magdolna Private Hospital, Budapest, Hungary

    Agnes R. Stogicza

  2. Member, Education Committee, World Institute of Pain, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paolo, São Paulo, Brazil

    André M. Mansano

  3. Past Chair, Education Committee, World Institute of Pain, Pain and Headache Center, Eagle River, AK, USA

    Andrea M. Trescot

  4. President-Elect, Past Chair, Examination Board, World Institute of Pain, National Spine and Pain Centers, Shrewsburry, NJ, USA

    Peter S. Staats

Additional information

The Thoracic Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation chapter was reviewed by Miles Day; Fabricio Dias Assis; Jan Van Zundert; Charles Gauci; Andrea M. Trescot; Milan Stojanovic; Peter S. Staats; Agnes R. Stogicza; Andre M. Mansano.

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Oliveira, C.A. (2020). Thoracic Medial Branch Block and Denervation. In: Stogicza, A.R., Mansano, A.M., Trescot, A.M., Staats, P.S. (eds) Interventional Pain . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31741-6_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31741-6_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-31740-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-31741-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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