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Synovial
Cyst
The synovial membrane lines joints and holds a little fluid to lubricate the joint. In the back of the spine are little joints, not the big disc joint in front, called facet joints. They prevent to and fro motion in the spine. When they become arthritic, they tend to open up a little and the synovial membrane can protrude out forming a cyst. If that happens toward and underlying spinal nerve, it can cause quite severe leg pain. They are rarely in the neck. No shot
or pill will cure this. They are too small and near the nerve to be
evacuated with a needle through the skin. If the pain is bad enough,
the only way to treat them is to go in and remove them. This can be
done with microsurgery, similar to the lumbar microdiscectomy (see that
section on the Home Page). Patients can go home same day and resume
activities within days because no disc tissue needs to be removed. Results
are usually complete relief of leg pain. Recurrence is rare but possible. |