The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is committed to the comprehensive and rigorous assessment of evidence relative to diagnostic and therapeutic pain interventions. To this end, IPSIS has adopted the GRADE approach to critically appraising the literature in our systematic reviews.

CURRENT PROJECTS

• Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections (Anticipated completion: Summer 2025)
  
  
• Cervical Discography (Anticipated completion: Summer 2025)
  
  

PAST PROJECTS

• Glinka Przybysz A, Vu TN, Pisansky AJB, Schuster NM, Sheth S, Cheng DS, Lobel SM, Binler D, Duszynski B, Conger A, Schneider BJ, Mattie R. A systematic review of evidence comparing spinal cord stimulation to sham or conservative medical management in the treatment of persistent spinal pain syndrome - Type 2. Interventional Pain Medicine, 4(3), 100635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2025.100635
  

• Fogarty AE, Buttner JA, Duszynski B, McKenna MJ, Miller DC, Gonzalez-Cota A, Avila A, Vaynberg E, Sheth S, Conger A, Doan LV, Ehsanian R. (2025). The effectiveness of fluoroscopically guided lumbar facet steroid joint injections: A systematic review. Interventional Pain Medicine, 4(2), 100587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2025.100587
  
  
• Encalada S, Hunt C, Duszynski B, Salmasi V, Scholten P, Zhao Z, Rappard G, Rivers WE, Vu T, Lobel S, Popescu A, Prokop LJ, Kreiner DS. (2025). The effectiveness of balloon kyphoplasty compared to conservative treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Interventional Pain Medicine 2025;4(1),100569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2025.100569
  
  
• Lee DW, Cheney C, Sherwood D, Wahezi S, Monteiro P, McCormick ZL, Conger A, Duszynski B, Smith C. C. The effectiveness and safety of sacral lateral branch radiofrequency neurotomy (SLBRFN): A systematic review. Interventional Pain Medicine 2023;2(2),100259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2023.100259
  
  
•  Nagpal AS, Vu T, Gill B, Conger A, McCormick ZL, Duszynski B, Boies BT. Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Caudal Epidural Steroid Injections in the Treatment of Chronic Low Back or Radicular Pain. Interventional Pain Medicine 2022;1(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2022.100149.
  
  
• Schneider BJ, Hunt C, Conger A, Qu W, Maus TP, Vorobeychik Y, Cheng J, Duszynski B, McCormick ZL. The Effectiveness of Intradiscal Biologic Treatments for Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review. Spine J. 2021 Aug 2:S1529-9430(21)00831-7. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2021.07.015. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34352363.
  
  
• Conger A, Schuster NM, Cheng DS, Sperry BP, Joshi AB, Haring RS, Duszynski B, McCormick ZL. The Effectiveness of Intraosseous Basivertebral Nerve Radiofrequency Neurotomy for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in Patients with Modic Changes: A Systematic Review. Pain Med. 2021 Feb 5:pnab040. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnab040. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33544851.
  
  
• Nagpal A, Clements N, Duszynski B, Boies B. The Effectiveness of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurostimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain and Chronic Neuropathic Pain of the Lower Extremity: A Comprehensive Review of the Published Data. Pain Med. 2020 Dec 1:pnaa369. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa369. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33260203.
  
  
• Engel A, King W, Schneider BJ, Duszynski B, Bogduk N. The Effectiveness of Cervical Medial Branch Thermal Radiofrequency Neurotomy Stratified by Selection Criteria: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Pain Med. 2020 Sep 15:pnaa219. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa219. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32935126.
  
  
• Schneider BJ, Doan L, Maes MK, Martinez KR, Gonzalez Cota A, Bogduk N. Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Lumbar Medial Branch Thermal Radiofrequency Neurotomy, Stratified for Diagnostic Methods and Procedural Technique. Pain Med. 2020 Feb 10;. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz349. [Epub ahead of print]
  
  
• Smith CC, McCormick ZL, Mattie R, MacVicar J, Duszynski B, Stojanovic MP. The Effectiveness of Lumbar Transforaminal Injection of Steroid for the Treatment of Radicular Pain: A Comprehensive Review of the Published Data. Pain Med. 2019 Jul 25;. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz160. [Epub ahead of print]
  
  
• Smith CC, Schneider B, McCormick ZL, Gill J, Loomba V, Engel AJ, Duszynski B, King W. Risks and Benefits of Ceasing or Continuing Anticoagulant Medication for Image-Guided Procedures for Spine Pain: A Systematic Review. Pain Med. 2018 Mar 1;19(3):438-448. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnx152.
  
  
• Sharma AK, Vorobeychik Y, Wasserman R, Jameson J, Moradian M, Duszynski B, Kennedy DJ; Standards Division of the Spine Intervention Society. The Effectiveness and Risks of Fluoroscopically Guided Lumbar Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections: A Systematic Review with Comprehensive Analysis of the Published Data. Pain Medicine. 2017 Feb 1;18(2):239-251. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnw131.
  
  
• Vorobeychik Y, Sharma A, Smith C, Miller D, Stojanovic M, Lobel S, Valley M, Duszynski B, Kennedy DJ. The Effectiveness and Risks of Non-Image-Guided Lumbar Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections: A Systematic Review with Comprehensive Analysis of the Published Data. Pain Medicine. 2016; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnw091 pnw091 First published online: 10 June 2016.
  
  
• Engel A, Rappard G, King W, Kennedy DJ. The Effectiveness and Risks of Fluoroscopically-Guided Cervical Medial Branch Thermal Radiofrequency Neurotomy: A Systematic Review with Comprehensive Analysis of the Published Data. Pain Medicine. 2016; 17(4): 658-669. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pme.12928 658-669 First published online: 2 February 2016.
  
  
• Kennedy DJ, Engel A, Kreiner DS, Nampiaparampil D, Duszynski B, MacVicar J. Fluoroscopically-Guided Diagnostic and Therapeutic Intra-Articular Sacroiliac Joint Injections: A Systematic Review. Pain Medicine. 2015; 16(8): 1500-18. doi: 10.1111/pme.12833. Epub 2015 Jul 14.
  
  
• King W, Ahmed SU, Baisden J, Patel N, Kennedy DJ, MacVicar J, Duszynski B. Diagnosis and Treatment of Posterior Sacroiliac Complex Pain: A Systematic Review with Comprehensive Analysis of the Published Data. Pain Medicine. 2015;16(2):257-65. doi: 10.1111/pme.12630.
  
  
• Engel A, King W, MacVicar J, Standards Division of the International Spine Intervention Society. The Effectiveness and Risks of Fluoroscopically-guided Cervical Transforaminal Injections of Steroids: A Systematic Review with Comprehensive Analysis of the Published Data. Pain Medicine. 2014; 15(3):386-402. doi: 10.1111/pme.12304. Epub 2013 Dec 5.
  
  
• Kreiner D, MacVicar J, Duszynski B, Nampiaparampil D. The Mild® Procedure: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature. Pain Medicine. 2014; 15(2):196-205. doi: 10.1111/pme.12305. Epub 2013 Dec 5.
  
  
• Bogduk N, Aprill C, Derby R. Lumbar Discogenic Pain: State-of-the-art Review. Pain Medicine. 2013;14(6):813-36. doi: 10.1111/pme.12082. Epub 2013 Apr 8.
  
  
• MacVicar J, King W, Landers MH, Bogduk N. The Effectiveness of Lumbar Transforaminal Injection of Steroids: A Comprehensive Review with Systematic Analysis of the Published Data. Pain Medicine. 2013; 14(1):14-28. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01508.x. Epub 2012 Oct 30.

STAFF CONTACTS

Belinda Duszynski
Senior Director of Policy and Practice