Objective: To investigate the pathogenesis and rehabilitative treatment for degeneration of cervical articular process.
Methods: Among 200 case of cervical disease with oblique radiography, 90 (45%) have different levels of facet degeneration, aged from 31 to 76 years, mostly in the elderly (accounting for 80%). There are no significant differences between men and women.
Results: There are three reasons for cervical facet degeneration. (1) Physiological degeneration of the articular process; (2) Acute and chronic injuries, especially whiplash injury; (3) Iatrogenic injury. Among these causes, iatrogenic injury is very common and has been neglected for a long time. When the intervertebral joint is instable, chronic fatigue or acute injury will certainly produce symptoms, including symptoms of nerve root type, or vertebral artery type, or both types of cervical disease.
Conclusion: Oblique X-ray films show that superior articular process protrudes into the intervertebral foramen, which causes intervertebral foramen narrow, and the narrow degree is in proportion to rising and extending range of head and neck. Scientific and dialectical therapy is the key to treat this disease, and manipulative reduction to enlarging intervertebral foramen with the neck at flexing position is a targeted treatment, which can treat symptoms and causes of the disease at the same time. If the case is special, cervical dynamic extension and flexion X-ray film should be taken.