• Juan Carlos Acevedo-Gonzalez, Valentina Corpus-Gutierrez, Mariana Angarita-Avendaño, and Alexandra Del Castillo-Forero.
• Neurosurgeon Specialized in Functional Neurosurgery, Pain Management, and Spasticity, Faculty of Medicine, San Ignacio University Hospital, Pontifical Javeriana University, Bogotá, Colombia. Electronic address: jacevedog@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 Apr 1; 184: e317e330e317-e330.

ObjectiveLumbar facet syndrome is a cause of pain. The diagnosis iconfirmation is achieved through a selective block. Although this procedure is standardized under fluoroscopic or computed tomography (CT) guidance, the current use of ultrasound may provide an alternative to its implementation.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted. "ultrasound-guided lumbar" and "lumbar facet joint."ResultsTwenty articles were included. Five randomized clinical trials, 4 observational studies, 2 clinical trials, 1 retrospective study, 2 metanalysis and 5 cadaveric studies, and 1 feasibility study. The studies demonstrated a improvement in pain with ultrasound. However, no significant differences in these outcomes were found when comparing ultrasound with fluoroscopy or CT. It was also observed that the procedural time was longer with ultrasound. Finally, success rates in correctly locating the injection site ranged from 88% to 100% when confirmed with fluoroscopy or CT.ConclusionsAlthough the use of ultrasound for regional anesthesia is on the rise, there are no results that can replace those found with fluoroscopy or CT for performing the dorsal and medial branch block of the spinal root in the treatment of lumbar facet syndrome.Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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