• Yagiz Ugur Yolcu, Vance T Lehman, Atiq Ur Rehman Bhatti, Anshit Goyal, Mohammed Ali Alvi, and Mohamad Bydon.
• Mayo Clinic Neuro-Informatics Laboratory, Department of Neurologic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
• World Neurosurg. 2020 Feb 1; 134: 201-210.

AbstractFacet joint osteoarthritis/arthropathy of the spine is a common cause of back and neck pain that frequently overlaps clinically with other diseases of the spine. Because of the possible overlap, it is crucial to have an accurate diagnostic strategy, especially when determining the management approach. Various strategies have been suggested and adopted, with several these still being used in clinics. Over the years, because of the disadvantages of single-modality imaging methods (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography), the interest in radiologic examination started to move toward hybrid imaging techniques. Although the data are mixed, many initial studies have shown promise. However, there are relatively few data with comparative medial branch blocks, and further investigation is needed. Given the advantages and disadvantages of these new techniques, the imaging results have to be interpreted within clinical context and with consideration of the current state of knowledge in the decision-making process.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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