초음파 유도하에서의 요추부 후관절 내측지 차단술을 위한 주요 척추 구조물의 거리 측정

Abstract

Background Selective diagnostic blocks of the medial branches of the dorsal primary ramus are usually performed under the guidance of fluoroscopic or computed tomography. Recently, however, ultrasound guidance has been suggested as an alternative method. In this study, the distances between the vertebral structures were measured and compared with the values measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the clinical feasibility of using ultrasound-guided block in Korean patients.

Methods Five male and 15 female patients were enrolled in this study. The target point of the medial branch block in our study was the groove at the base of the superior articular process. We measured the depth from the skin to the target point at the transverse process (d-TP) and to the most superficial point of the superior articular process (d-AP).

Results The d-TP and d-AP values measured under ultrasound guidance were concordant with the values measured using MRI.

Conclusions The images of the bony landmarks obtained under ultrasound examination could be useful for ultrasound-guided lumbar medial branch block.