PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 6 , Pages 576-579 , June 2009

Interpreting Reviews and Guidelines: The Case of Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections

  • Venu Akuthota, MD (Guest Discussant)

      Affiliations

    • Associate Professor and Pain Fellowship Director, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, PO Box 6511, Mail Stop F-493, Aurora, CO 80045†
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: V.A.
    • ,
  • Charles Argoff, MD (Guest Discussant)

      Affiliations

    • Professor of Neurology, Albany Medical College, Director Comprehensive Pain Program, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY‡
    • ,
  • William C. Watters III, MD (Commentary)

      Affiliations

    • Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedics, Baylor College of Medicine, and University of Texas Medical Branch, Houston, TX§

References 

    Dr. Argoff Responds
  1. Armon C, Argoff CE, Samuels J, Backonja M. Assessment: use of epidural steroid injections to treat radicular lumbosacral pain: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2007;68:723–729
  2. Novak S, Nemeth WC. The basis for recommending repeat epidural steroid injections for radicular low back pain: a literature review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:543–552
  3. Price C, Arden N, Coglan L, Rogers P. Cost-effectiveness and safety of epidural steroids in the management of sciatica. Health Technol Assess. 2005;9:1–58
    Dr. Akuthota Responds
  1. National Clearinghouse for guidelines. http://www.guideline.gov/search/searchresults.aspx?Type=3&txtSearch=back+pain&num=20Accessed October 23, 2008.
  2. Armon C, Argoff CE, Samuels J, Backonja M. Assessment: use of epidural steroid injections to treat radicular lumbosacral pain: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2007;68:723–729
  3. American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Low Back Disorders. Occupational medicine practice guidelines: evaluation and management of common health problems and functional recovery of workers. 2nd ed.. Beverly Farms, Elk Grove Village, IL: OEM Press; 2007;
  4. Dilke TF, Burry HC, Grahame R. Extradural corticosteroid injection in the management of lumbar nerve root compression. Br Med J. 1973;2:635–637
  5. Wilson-MacDonald J, Burt G, Griffin D, Glynn C. Epidural steroid injection for nerve root compression (A randomised, controlled trial). J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2005;87:352–355
  6. Buttermann GR. Treatment of lumbar disc herniation: epidural steroid injection compared with discectomy (A prospective, randomized study). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2004;86-A:670–679
  7. Vad VB, Bhat AL, Lutz GE, Cammisa F. Transforaminal epidural steroid injections in lumbosacral radiculopathy: prospective randomized study. Spine. 2002;27:11–16
  8. Valat JP, Giraudeau B, Rozenberg S, et al. Epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica: a randomized, double blind, controlled clinical trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2003;62:639–643
  9. Manchikanti L, Singh V, Derby R, et al. Reassessment of evidence synthesis of occupational medicine practice guidelines for interventional pain management. Pain Physician. 2008;11:393–482
  10. Riew KD, Yin Y, Gilula L, et al. The effect of nerve-root injections on the need for operative treatment of lumbar radicular pain (A prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind study). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2000;82-A:1589–1593
  11. North American Spine Society (NASS). Clinical Guidelines for Multidisciplinary Spine Care (Diagnosis and Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis). http://www.spine.org/Documents/NASSCG_Stenosis.pdf2007;Accessed October 23, 2008.
  12. Bogduk N. “PASSOR: Lumbar Spine Interventional Management,” September 29, 2007, lecture at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 68th Annual Assembly, Boston, MA.
  13. Carette S, Leclaire R, Marcoux S, Morin F, Blaise GA, St-Pierre A, et al. Epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica due to herniated nucleus pulposus. N Engl J Med. 1997;336:1634–1640
  14. Cuckler JM, Bernini PA, Wiesel SW, Booth RE, Rothman RH, Pickens GT. The use of epidural steroids in the treatment of lumbar radicular pain. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1985;67:63–66
  15. Bush K, Hillier S. A controlled study of caudal epidural injections of triamcinolone plus procaine for the management of intractable sciatica. Spine. 1991;16:572–575
  16. Buchner M, Zeifang F, Brocai DR, Schiltenwolf M. Epidural corticosteroid injection in the conservative management of sciatica. Clin Orthop. 2000;375:149–156
  17. Whitworth M, de Cordoba J. Is it finally time to abandon the use of blind interlaminar epidural steroid injections?. Intervent Spine. 2008;6:16–29
  18. Karppinen J, Malmivaara A, Kurunlahti M, et al. Periradicular infiltration for sciatica: a randomized controlled trial. Spine. 2001;26:1059–1067
  19. Karppinen J, Ohinmaa A, Malmivaara A, et al. Cost effectiveness of periradicular infiltration for sciatica. Spine. 2001;26:2587–2595
  20. Lutz GE, Vad VB, Wisneski RJ. Fluoroscopic transforaminal lumbar epidural steroids: an outcome study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1998;79:1362–1366
  21. Weinstein JN, Bronner KK, Morgan TS, Wennberg JE. “Trends and geographic variation in major surgery for degenerative diseases of the hip, knee and spine.” Health Affairs Web Exclusive, VAR-81, 2004.
    Commentary by Dr. William Watters
  1. Armon C, Argoff CE, Samuals J, Backonja M. Assessment: use of epidural steroid injections to treat radicular lumbosacral pain: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2007;68:723–729
  2. Butterman GR. Treatment of lumbar disc herniation: epidural steroid injection compared with discectomy (A prospective, randomized study). J Bone Joint Surg AM. 2004;86-A:670–679
  3. Manchikanti L, Singh V, Derby R, et al. Reassessment of evidence synthesis of occupational medicine practice guidelines for interventional pain management. Pain Physician. 2008;11:393–482
  4. Shaneyfelt TM, Centor RM. Reassessment of clinical practice guidelines: go gently into the good night. JAMA. 2009;301:868–869
  5. McClellan MB, McGinnis JM, Nabel EG, Olsen LM. Evidence-based medicine and the changing nature of healthcare (Summary). Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine; 2008;

PII: S1934-1482(09)00484-5

doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2009.05.002

PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 6 , Pages 576-579 , June 2009

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