Table 1.
Baseline Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Study Participants
| Characteristic | Intraarticular Facet Block (n = 91) |
Medial Branch Block (n = 91) |
Saline Injection (n = 47) |
Total (n = 229) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 48±15 | 46±13 | 48±15 | 47±14 |
| Female (n, %) | 27 (30%) | 34 (37%) | 17 (36%) | 78 (34%) |
| Duration of pain, years (mean ± SD) | 8±7 | 6±6 | 5±5 | 7±7 |
| Levels (mean ± SD) | 2.2±0.6 | 2.0±0.5 | 2.1±0.4 | 2.1±0.5 |
| Bilateral (n, %) | 60 (66%) | 63 (69%) | 27 (57%) | 150 (66%) |
| Opioid use | ||||
| None | 76 (84%) | 79 (87%) | 39 (83%) | 194 (85%) |
| < 90 mg daily morphine equivalents | 15 (16%) | 11 (12%) | 8 (17%) | 34 (15%) |
| ≥90 mg daily morphine equivalents | 0 | 1 (1%) | 0 | 1 (0.4%) |
| Military status (n, %) | ||||
| Officer | 15 (16%) | 14 (15%) | 5 (11%) | 114, 50% |
| Enlisted | 29 (32%) | 34 (38%) | 18 (38%) | 81, 35% |
| Civilian | 47 (52%) | 43 (47%) | 24 (51%) | 34, 15% |
| Disability, worker’s compensation, or medical board* | 13 (14%) | 14 (15%) | 9 (19%) | 36 (16%) |
| Inciting event (n, %) | ||||
| Motor vehicle collision | 5 (5%) | 4 (4%) | 1 (2%) | 10 (4%) |
| Fall | 5 (5%) | 6 (7%) | 0 | 11 (5%) |
| Work related | 18 (20%) | 11 (12%) | 5 (11%) | 34 (15%) |
| Sports | 10 (11%) | 8 (9%) | 8 (17%) | 26 (11%) |
| Other | 7 (8%) | 9 (10%) | 3 (6%) | 19 (8%) |
| None | 46 (51 %) | 55 (60%) | 30 (64%) | 131 (43%) |
| Concomitant pain condition (n, %) | ||||
| Neck pain | 21 (23%) | 19 (21%) | 7 (15%) | 47 (21%) |
| Arthralgia | 30 (33%) | 35 (38%) | 15 (32%) | 80 (35%) |
| Headache | 8 (9%) | 5 (5%) | 2 (4%) | 15 (7%) |
| Neuropathic | 3 (3%) | 4 (4%) | 1 (2%) | 8 (4%) |
| Other | 11 (12%) | 15 (16%) | 4 (9%) | 30 (13%) |
| None | 35 (38%) | 33 (36%) | 24 (51%) | 137 (60%) |
| Coexisting psychiatric condition (n, %) | ||||
| Mood | 19 (21%) | 20 (22%) | 6 (13%) | 45 (20%) |
| Anxiety | 13 (14%) | 20 (22%) | 7 (15%) | 40 (18%) |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder† | 9 (10%) | 9 (10%) | 3 (6%) | 21 (9%) |
| Substance abuse† | 2 (2%) | 2 (2%) | 1 (2%) | 5 (2%) |
| Other | 3 (3%) | 3 (3%) | 1 (2%) | 7 (3%) |
| None | 61 (67%) | 55 (61%) | 35 (74%) | 78 (34%) |
| Deployment related (n, %) | 9 (10%) | 11 (12%) | 4 (9%) | 24 (11%) |
| Traumatic brain injury (n, %) | 4 (4%) | 6 (7%) | 1 (2%) | 11 (5%) |
| Smoking (n, %) | 14 (15%) | 17 (19%) | 7 (15%) | 38 (17%) |
| Average numerical rating scale back pain (mean ± SD) | 5.5±1.6 | 5.4±1.4 | 5.1±1.5 | 5.4±1.5 |
| Worst numerical rating scale back pain (mean ± SD) | 8.0±1.4 | 8.2 ±1.4 | 7.7±1.5 | 8.0±1.4 |
| Oswestry disability score (mean ± SD) | 37±15 | 35±13 | 34±14 | 35±14 |
*
Military equivalent of civilian disability.
†
Denotes controlled or inactive.