Resolution of a Greater Than 50-year History of Severe, Chronic Low Back Pain Following an Ultrasound-guided Platelet-rich Plasma Infiltration of the Thoracolumbar Fascia

Abstract

The diagnosis of chronic low back pain is a scourge of society that does not take into account the pathoanatomical cause of pain. This case describes a six-year search for the pinpoint pathoanatomical diagnosis of a patient's 50-plus year history of debilitating chronic low back pain after he failed the standard nonoperative and operative treatment modalities. Ultrasound-guided diagnostic blocks identified a potential space within the thoracolumbar fascia. This was treated with platelet-rich plasma, yielding a complete resolution of his pain and a full return to normal activities of daily living for three years since the procedure.