TABLE 1.
Demographic, clinical and radiological characteristics of 43 patients with LBP treated with FJI.
| Continuous variables | Mean (SD) |
| Age (years) | 52 (16.8) |
| BMI (kg m–2)a | 27.0 (2.5) |
| Duration of pain (months) | 46.2 (48.0) |
| PCSb | 8.9 (8.3) |
| BAIc | 6.6 (6.5) |
| BDId | 7.2 (6.7) |
| Duration of pain relief (months) | 7.6 (8.9) |
| Categorical variables | n (%) |
| Sex | |
| Female | 25 (58.1) |
| Male | 18 (41.9) |
| Years of education | |
| <12 years | 27 (62.8) |
| ≥12 years | 16 (37.2) |
| Type of occupational activity | |
| Non-manual work | 30 (69.8) |
| Manual work | 13 (30.2) |
| Obesity, BMI > 30 (kg m–2)a | 07 (16.3) |
| Smoking | 01 (2.3) |
| Diabetes mellitus II | 03 (7.0) |
| Fibromyalgia | 07 (16.3) |
| Hypertension | 18 (41.9) |
| Sedentary life style | 29 (67.4) |
| Opioid use before FJI | 13 (30.2) |
| Previous lumbar surgery | 09 (21.0) |
| Microdiscectomy | 06 (14.0) |
| Decompression | 01 (2.3) |
| Other | 02 (4.7) |
| Arthrodesis surgery | 06 (14.0) |
| MR findings before FJI | |
| Level of facet joint arthropathy | |
| L3–L4 | 01 (2.3) |
| L4–L5 | 05 (11.6) |
| L5–S1 | 04 (9.3) |
| L2–S1 | 07 (16.3) |
| L3–S1 | 20 (46.5) |
| L4–S1 | 06 (14.0) |
| Spine deformity | 19 (44.2) |
| Flat back | 12 (27.9) |
| Kyphosis | 01 (2.3) |
| Scoliosis | 04 (9.3) |
| Hyperlordosis | 02 (4.7) |
| Degenerative disc disease | 39 (90.7) |
| Black disc | 32 (74.4) |
| Modic phenomenon | 07 (16.3) |
| Disc herniation | 30 (69.8) |
| Protrusion disc | 26 (60.5) |
| Bulging disc | 03 (7.0) |
| Extrusion disc | 01 (2.3) |
| Spondylolisthesis | 13 (30.2) |
| Facet synovial cyst | 02 (4.7) |
| Lumbar muscle weakness | 13 (30.2) |
| Supraspinal ligament stretch | 15 (34.9) |
| Spinal stenosis | 13 (30.2) |
| Oswestry Disability Index before the FJI | |
| Moderate functional disability (ODI 21–40%) | 15 (35.0) |
| Severe functional disability (ODI 41–61%) | 14 (32.5) |
| Crippled (ODI 61–81%) | 14 (32.5) |
| Surgical results | |
| MacNab criteria, 6-months follow-up after FJI | |
| Excellent | 09 (20.9) |
| Good | 26 (60.5) |
| Fair | 04 (9.3) |
| Poor | 04 (9.3) |
| Complications | 08 (18.6) |
| Bleeding | 01 (2.3) |
| Lower limb block | 06 (14.0) |
| Vesical retention | 01 (2.3) |
aBMI = Body mass index; bPCS = Pain Catastrophizing Scale; cBAI = Beck Anxiety Inventory; dBeck Depression Inventor.