Publications by authors named "Richard Epter"
Background: Post lumbar surgery syndrome or failed back surgery syndrome with persistent pain continues to increase over the years. The speculated causes of post lumbar laminectomy syndrome include acquired stenosis, epidural fibrosis, arachnoiditis, radiculopathy, and recurrent disc herniation. Epidural fibrosis may account for as much as 20% to 36% of all cases of failed back surgery syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Facet joints are considered to be a common source of chronic spinal pain. Facet joint interventions, including intraarticular injections, medial branch nerve blocks, and neurotomy (radiofrequency and cryoneurolysis) are used to manage chronic facet-mediated spinal pain. A systematic review of therapeutic facet interventions published in January 2005, concluded that facet interventions were variably effective for short-term and long-term relief of facet joint pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The guidelines aim to provide evidence-based recommendations for managing chronic spinal pain using interventional techniques, designed for clinicians in the U.S.
- The guideline development involved thorough literature reviews, consensus evaluations, and a structured method for assessing the quality of evidence, ranging from conclusive to indeterminate.
- Findings show strong accuracy for certain diagnostic interventions, such as facet joint nerve blocks and lumbar discography, while evidence for others, like cervical discography and diagnostic sacroiliac joint injections, is more limited or moderate.