Anomalous lumbosacral articulations and low-back pain. Evaluation and treatment.

Eleven patients ranging from 13 to 76 years in age with low-back pain and asymmetric sacro-transverse joints were studied. Preoperatively, scintimetry was performed in eight of the patients, in all cases with normal results. Ten of the 11 patients had their sacrotransverse joint anesthesized in fluoroscopy. Nine of these experienced pain reduction or alleviation. Resection of the transverse process was performed in all cases. At follow-up, at 6 to 42 months postoperatively, seven patients reported total alleviation of pain, and two, significant improvement. Two patients had unchanged symptoms; one patient was 76 years of age, had associated degenerative changes of the spine, and had no effect of local anesthetics in his joint, and the other was a 13-year-old male competitive swimmer. The authors conclude that, in patients with anomalous unilateral lumbosacral articulations and low-back pain, in whom local anesthesia into the joint gives pain alleviation, resection of the transverse process may be a worthwhile procedure.