RESEARCH ARTICLE


Effect of Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection in Acute and Subacute Pain Due to Lumbar Disk Herniation: A Randomized Comparison of 2 Different Protocols



I.D. Gelalis*, 1, E. Arnaoutoglou2, E.E. Pakos1, A.N. Politis1, M. Rapti2, T.A. Xenakis1, G. Papadopoulos2
1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
2 Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Ioannina, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece


Article Metrics

CrossRef Citations:
7
Total Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 873
Abstract HTML Views: 347
PDF Downloads: 243
Total Views/Downloads: 1463
Unique Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 556
Abstract HTML Views: 228
PDF Downloads: 173
Total Views/Downloads: 957



Creative Commons License
© Gelalis et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Ioannina, Medical School, Ioannina, 45100, Greece; Tel: +302651043892; Fax: +302651097891; E-mail: idgelalis@msn.com


Abstract

In order to assess the efficacy of epidural steroid injections (ESI) in acute and subacute pain due to lumbar spine disk herniation, we conducted a randomized trial, comparing 2 different protocols. Fourty patients with radicular pain due to L4-L5 and L5-S1 disc herniation were assigned to receive either 3 consecutive ESI every 24 hours through a spinal catheter (group A) or 3 consecutive ESI every 10 days with an epidural needle (group B). All patients had improved Oswestry Disabilty Index (ODI) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain scores at 1 month of follow-up compared to baseline, while no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups. The scores for group B were statistically significant lower at 2 months of follow-up compared to those of group A. The improvement in the scores of group B was continuous since the mean scores at 2 months of follow up were lower compared to the respective scores at 1 month. Protocol B (3 consecutive ESI every 10 days) was found more effective in the treatment of subacute pain compared to Protocol A (3 consecutive ESI every 24 hours) with statistically significant differences in the ODI and VAS scores at 2 months of follow-up.

Keywords: Low back pain, radicular pain, lumbar spine, disk herniation, epidural injections.