Ultrasound-Guided Cervical Selective Nerve Root Block versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Interlaminar Epidural Injection for Cervical Radicular Pain: A Randomized, Prospective, Controlled Study

Kose H. C., Guven Kose S., Celikel F., Tulgar S., Akkaya O. T.

Journal of Personalized Medicine, cilt.14, sa.7, 2024 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 7
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/jpm14070721
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Personalized Medicine
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: cervical radiculopathy, chronic pain, numeric rating scale, radicular pain, selective nerve root block, steroid, ultrasound
  • Samsun Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

Ultrasound (US)-guided cervical selective nerve root block (CSNRB) procedures are increasingly being performed as an alternative to conventional fluoroscopy (FL)-guided epidural injections for the treatment of cervical radicular pain. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of US-guided CSNRB versus FL-guided interlaminar cervical epidural steroid injection (IL-CESI) for cervical radicular pain. A total of 60 patients with cervical radicular pain due to a single-level disc herniation were randomized into either the FL or US group. The numeric rating scale, Short Form-36, and neck disability index were evaluated before treatment at months 1, 3, and 6 after treatment. Procedure time, complications, pain medication consumption, and patient satisfaction were also recorded. Patients experienced significant improvement in pain, disability, and quality of life scores up to 6 months after the procedure (p < 0.001). Treatment success rate was achieved in 56.6% of the IL-CESI group and 50% of the CSNRB group without any significant difference between the study arms (p = 0.617). US-guided CSNRB was shown to be as effective as the FL-guided IL-CESI in the treatment of cervical radicular pain, in addition to the absence of radiation exposure and requiring less procedure time.