What is a percutaneous arthrodesis?
Percutaneous arthrodesis of the facet joints or sacroiliac joints is a treatment for the pain caused by facet joint syndrome or sacroiliac joint pain that has not responded to other treatments. The procedure relieves pain by fusing the affected joints together using screws or similar devices.
Facet joint syndrome is a form of chronic lower back pain. It is characterised by stiffness and pain that increases when twisting and bending backwards. It is frequently caused by osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis that causes joint cartilage to deteriorate. This can also be caused by the joints bearing an unusual amount of weight as well as by repetitive stress injury. Facet joint syndrome is not easy to diagnose because it may be unclear where the source of the pain is located, making it easy for symptoms to be confused with the many other causes of back pain.
In some cases, lower back pain can be the result of painful sacroiliac joint dysfunction, an inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, which is located at the bottom of the spine. Sacroiliac joint pain is complex and can be expressed in one of several forms, such as sciatica.
Percutaneous arthrodesis treatment is used to stabilise the movement of the spine in the facet joints. The procedure corrects unwanted spinal motion and unstable facet joints.