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Erschienen in:
01.12.2011 | Technical Report
CT-guided cervical nerve root injections: comparing the immediate post-injection anesthetic-related effects of the transforaminal injection with a new indirect technique
Erschienen in: Skeletal Radiology | Ausgabe 12/2011
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Objective
To describe an “indirect” cervical nerve root injection technique with a dorsal approach that should carry less inherent risk than the “direct” cervical transforaminal injection approach, and to compare the immediate post-injection results of the two procedures.
Materials and methods
The indirect and direct cervical nerve root injection procedures are described in detail. Fifty-three consecutive patients receiving the indirect nerve root injections during 2009–2010 were age- and gender-matched to 53 patients who underwent direct transforaminal nerve root injections performed in 2006. Pain level data were collected immediately before and 20–30 min after each procedure. The percentages of pain change in the two groups were compared using the unpaired Student’s t test.
Results
Fifty-two men (mean age 49) and 54 women (mean age 55) were included. The mean percentage of pain reduction for patients receiving indirect nerve root injections was 38.4% and for those undergoing the direct nerve root injections approach it was 43.2%. This was not significantly different (P = 0.455). No immediate or late adverse effects were reported after either injection procedure.
Conclusions
The indirect cervical nerve root injection procedure is a potentially safer alternative to direct cervical transforaminal nerve root injections. The short-term pain reduction is similar using the two injection methods.