PGI Chandigarh unveils world's first PET-CT guided therapy for chronic pain management
Chandigarh: In a significant achievement, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has introduced the world's first technique for the precise management of chronic musculoskeletal pain using Fluorine-18 Sodium Fluoride (¹⁸F-NaF) PET-CT-guided steroid injections.
The innovation has been developed by multidisciplinary team comprising Dr. Aneesh Bhattacharya (Professor and Head, Nuclear Medicine), Dr. Sarvdeep Singh Dhatt (Professor, Orthopedics), Dr. Babita Ghai (Professor, Anesthesia and Intensive Care), Dr. Rajender Kumar (Additional Professor, Nuclear Medicine), Dr. Vishal Kumar (Additional Professor, Orthopedics), Dr. Harmandeep Singh (Additional Professor, Nuclear Medicine), and Dr. Raza Abbas Mahdi (Senior Resident, Nuclear Medicine), who are working together to advance precision pain therapy.
The procedure will cost approximately ₹1,000, with the cost of consumables amounting to about ₹500; this makes it accessible to a large number of patients. Currently, appointments are available within 1–2 weeks of receiving a referral.
The innovation is supported by robust clinical evidence, published in the *European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging* (2026; 53:1279–1288). The research paper is titled: “Efficacy and safety of [18F]NaF PET/CT guided intraarticular block for lumbar facet joint and sacroiliac joint arthropathy: a single-arm phase 2 trial.”
This innovation marks a major shift toward precisely targeted and personalised pain therapy, offering new hope to patients who have long suffered from musculoskeletal pain and for whom traditional treatments have proven ineffective.
Lauding the path-breaking innovation, speaking to TribuneIndia, Prof Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, stated, “This pioneering advancement reflects PGIMER’s continued commitment to patient-centric innovation and clinical excellence. By integrating cutting-edge functional imaging with targeted therapy, this technique has the potential to transform chronic pain management globally while remaining accessible and affordable for patients”.
Elaborating on the breakthrough, Dr Anish Bhattacharya, Professor and Head, Department of Nuclear Medicine, PGIMER, stated, “Unlike conventional imaging, NaF PET-CT identifies metabolically active disease sites, enabling us to precisely locate the true pain generator. This ensures that treatment is directed exactly where it is needed, significantly improving outcomes.”
Dr Dhatt, Department of Orthopaedics, stated while sharing the scope of the treatment, “This novel approach addresses a long-standing challenge in pain management—accurately identifying the exact source of pain. Chronic conditions such as lumbar facet joint arthropathy, sacroiliitis, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and coccydynia often remain inadequately treated due to limitations of conventional imaging modalities.
Dr Vishal Kumar, Department of Orthopaedics, PGIMER, speaking about the genesis of the technique, said, “It all began with a debate that, despite having the best expertise, we were not doing enough for our patients. That introspection led to the development of this novel approach.”
Dr Rajender Kumar, Additional Professor, Department of Nuclear Medicine, detailed, “The technique involves identifying the active pain-generating site using NaF PET-CT, followed by highly targeted steroid injection under real-time PET-CT guidance, further enhanced by robotic assistance for unmatched precision.
