| Previous epidemiological, basic and clinical researches of osteoarthritis have focused more on limb joints, in addition researches of spinal diseases tend to focus more on disc degeneration and related nerve injuries. Therefore, the lack of knowledge on facet joint osteoarthritis have led to many misdiagnoses and mistreatments of patients. Following the principle of evidence⁃based medicine, after literature review and repeated discussions among the national expert group, we have reached a consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of facet joint osteoarthritis that can be applied on daily clinical management. The diagnosis of facet joint osteoarthritis requires a combination of medical history, symptoms, physical signs, imaging examinations and selective blocking if necessary. It also requires differential diagnosis with a variety of spinal disorders. Treatment includes basic therapy, drug therapy, interventional therapy and surgical treatment. In clinical work, doctors need to pay more attention to the facet joint osteoarthritis and perform patients correct diagnosis and effective treatment. |
