Evaluating the Efficacy of Translaminar Epidural Injections for Pain Resulting From the Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disease

Abstract

Background: Caused by the degenerative spine disease (DSD), the pain syndrome in the lumbosacral spine and lower extremities represents a socioeconomic problem. Nowadays, minimally invasive methods of treatment, in particular, epidural injections (EI), are commonly used.Objective: To do a literature review on translaminar EIs and their mechanism of action in treating patients with radicular and vertebrogenic pain symptoms arising from the DSD.Materials and methods: We analyzed the most recent literature data in which the efficacy of epidural corticosteroid injections for DSD was evaluated.Conclusions: Translaminar EIs with corticosteroids are effective in relieving symptoms in the short term (up to 6 months) and delaying the surgery, but the evidence of their long-term benefits is yet to be found.

Keywords

• epidural injections
• low back pain
• lumbosacral radicular pain
• degenerative spine disease
• spinal stenosis