A Letter to Editor

Excerpt

We read the article with great interest by Im et al. [1]. In this retrospective paper, these authors evaluated the effects of Facet joint injection (FJI) in reduction of pain in vertebral compression fractures (VCF), thus reducing the need for percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). The effectiveness of FJI was evaluated by the proportion of patients who cancelled PVP and experienced reduced pain. Facet joint injection can be a useful tool for reducing pain in vertebral compression fractures particularly when facet joint strain due to kyphosis induced by VCF is implicated [2]. We congratulate these authors on presenting FJI as an alternate tool for pain reduction in VCF, avoiding the potential complications and morbidities associated with PVP like cement leakage into spinal canal or vertebral foramen, pulmonary embolism, transient hypotension [3]. …