Medial Branch Transection
Medial branch nerve transection, also known as MBT, is an ultra-minimally invasive endoscopic procedure designed to interrupt nerve signals and relieve chronic back pain.11
What Is MBT?
Ultra-minimally invasive MBT is designed to interrupt the nerve signals responsible for chronic back pain. By targeting specific tiny nerves that carry pain signals from arthritic spinal joints, this treatment can provide significant pain relief and improve mobility for patients.11
Which Conditions Can MBT Address?
There are paired joints, called facet joints, located on either side of the spine behind each disc. When functioning normally, facet joints provide stability and allow you to easily bend and rotate your back. Just as arthritis can develop in other joints, such as hips and knees, cartilage in the facet joints can break down, causing bone to rub against bone. This can result in back pain and stiffness. While this condition often occurs with age, it can also impact younger, more active people. MBT most commonly addresses low back pain associated with facet joint arthritis.
Common symptoms of facet joint arthritis include:
- Localized, dull back ache with radiating nerve pain that can also be felt in one or both legs
- Pain that can be felt even during periods of inactivity, such as laying down
- Back stiffness and possible spasms
Is MBT Right for You?
Most patients who undergo MBT have experienced continuous or frequent pain that often limits daily activity and may even interfere with sleep. Your surgeon may recommend MBT if other treatments, such as physical therapy, medications, injections, or even another spine surgery have been unsuccessful in treating ongoing pain related to facet joint arthritis.
During the procedure, your surgeon will use an ultra-minimally invasive endoscopic approach to reach and view the medial branch nerve to each facet joint and then transect it. By cutting this sensory nerve, neural receptors can no longer receive the pain signals transmitted from nearby arthritic joints, and the nerve cannot grow back to cause pain again. These tiny nerves are different from the important spinal nerves that carry signals to and from the rest of your body.
What Are the Benefits of MBT?
As with all endoscopic spinal surgeries, risks include neurological, vascular, and visceral injuries, recurrence, dysesthesia, and incomplete relief. Additional complications may also occur, including dural tear, hematoma, infection, instability, and facet joint injury. Fortunately, the rate of these complications is extremely low.
Arthrex endoscopes and instrumentation are indicated for visualization of the intraoperative site and surgical intervention during endoscopic procedures and minimally invasive surgery involving the spine. Endoscopic spine surgery is generally not intended for patients who have experienced or are experiencing spinal trauma, infection, instability, severe scoliosis, or have a present pathologic issue.
