Predictability of the effects of epidural injection in lumbar spinal stenosis by assessment of lumbar MRI scans.
BACKGROUND
Numerous classification systems have been proposed to interpret lumbar MRI scans. The clinical impact of the measured parameters remains unclear. To evaluate the clinical significance of imaging results in patients with multisegmental degenerative pathologies, treating specialists can perform image-guided local injections to target defined areas such as the epidural space.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the correlation between lumbar spinal stenosis measurements obtained by MRI and improvement obtained through local epidural injection.


METHODS
In this retrospective study various measurement and classification systems for lumbar spinal stenosis were applied to MRI scans of 100 patients with this pathological condition. The reported effect of epidural bupivacaine/triamcinolone injections at the site was recorded in these patients and a comparative analysis performed.


RESULTS
MRI features assessed in this study did not show any relevant correlation with reported pain relief after epidural injection in patients with chronic lumbar stenosis, with the exception of posterior disc height with a weak Kendall's tau of -0.187 (p= 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Although MRI is crucial for evaluating lumbar spinal stenosis, it cannot replace but is rather complementary to a good patient history and clinical examination or the results of local diagnostic injections.
['Hofmann|Ulf Krister|UK|', 'Keller|Ramona Luise|RL|', 'von Bernstorff|Maximilian|M|', 'Walter|Christian|C|', 'Mittag|Falk|F|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents D002045:Bupivacaine D005260:Female D005938:Glucocorticoids D006801:Humans D007268:Injections, Epidural D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D059408:Pain Management D012189:Retrospective Studies D012585:Sciatica D013130:Spinal Stenosis D014221:Triamcinolone
epidural injection Lumbar spinal stenosis MRI Schizas’ spinal stenosis classification Sipola’s neuroforaminal cross-sectional area neuroforaminal stenosis