
Spine
Transforaminal epidural injection of local anesthetic plus pulsed RF for lumbar radicular pain
Pain Pract. 2020 Feb;20(2):154-167.Fifty patients with lumbar radicular pain were randomized to receive a transforaminal epidural injection injection of bupivacaine or an identical transforaminal epidural injection plus pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the dorsal root ganglion. The primary outcome of interest was the proportion of patients with at least 20 point reduction in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores. The secondary outcome of interest was the proportion of patients with at least 50% improvement in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores. Follow up was performed up to 6 months post-operation. Results revealed no significant differences in both primary and secondary outcomes between the two groups, with the exception of the proportion of ODI score improvements => 50% at 2 months, which was significantly in favour of the combination group. Despite this, all ODI scores and VAS pain scores were significantly in favour of the combination group at all time-points compared to the transforaminal epidural injection only group.
Unlock the full article
Get unlimited access to OrthoEvidence with a free trial
Start TrialCritical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics
Or continue reading this full article
Register Now

Subscribe to "The Pulse"
Evidence-Based Orthopaedics direct to your inbox.