title: The effectiveness of transforaminal epidural steroid injection in patients with radicular low back pain due to lumbar disc herniation two years after treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of transforaminal epidural steroid injection in patients with chronic low back pain and radicular leg pain due to lumbar disc herniation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 80 patients (32 female and 48 male; mean age: 45.8 years [range: 25-65 years]) that received fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections for chronic radicular low back pain due to lumbar disc herniation. All of the patients had diagnostic MRI findings and did not respond to conservative treatment. All injections were performed by the same physician at the interventional pain unit of a tertiary hospital. The effectiveness of transforaminal epidural steroid injections was assessed via a standardized telephone questionnaire administered 2 years after the first injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean duration of radicular low back pain was 24.50 ± 18.25 months. Most of the epidural injections were administered at the L5 and S1 levels. The most effective post-injection period was the first 5.11 ± 3.07 months. Mean duration of injection effect was 12.46 ± 7.24 months. The response rate to the epidural steroid injections was 72%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was negative correlation between the duration of treatment effect and the duration of pre-treatment symptoms. Additionally, clinical improvement of radicular low back pain increased significantly as the duration of pre-treatment symptoms decreased. Based on the present findings, we think that transforaminal epidural steroid injections can be used as an alternative treatment for managing chronic radicular low back pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, TAF Rehabilitation Center, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taskaynatan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, TAF Rehabilitation Center, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kutay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tezel
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Military Hospital of Etimesgut, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferdi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, TAF Rehabilitation Center, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif Kenan
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001623:Betamethasone; C580789:betamethasone acetate
keywords: Low back pain; epidural steroids; radiculopathy; transforaminal