Akute Herz-Kreislaufreaktionen bei zervikaler Spinalnervenanalgesie

Safety of CT-guided cervical nerve root corticosteroid injections

INTRODUCTION

Computed tomography-guided cervical nerve root corticosteroid injections are a commonly performed procedure for cervical radiculopathy. There have been major complications such as spinal cord infarction and posterior circulation stroke reported mostly with X-ray fluoroscopic-guided methods, however, there is relatively little data on the safety of newer CT-guided methods. The purpose of this study was to identify any major complications and evaluate the rate of minor complications from CT-guided cervical nerve root corticosteroid injections performed in a tertiary public hospital.

METHODS

Four hundred and three CT-guided cervical nerve root injection procedures were identified over a period from July 2015 to January 2018 using the radiology information system (RIS) and data collected about the technique and any immediate complications. Patient follow-up and delayed complications were then reviewed, either via outpatient clinic records or telephone consultation.

RESULTS

Two hundred and eighty-six procedures were performed by radiology registrars or fellows, and 117 by radiologists, most commonly via an anterolateral approach and injecting 4 mg (in 1 mL) of dexamethasone. Follow-up data were obtained for all 403 procedures and identified 16 minor complications, but no major neurovascular complications.

CONCLUSION

The overall recorded rate of minor complications with CT-guided nerve root injection was 4.0% with no major neurovascular complications, suggesting that CT-guided transforaminal cervical corticosteroid injection is a safe procedure.

[Value of injection therapy for degenerative diseases of lumbar spine]

Local injection therapy is of great value in the border area between non-operative or operative treatment of discogenic and spinal stenotic radicular syndromes. With a series of deep periradicular infiltrations of local anesthetics and antiphlogistics it is possible to reduce the pain peaks in the spontaneous course of degenerative spinal diseases, so that planned surgery is no longer necessary. For the rare serious palsies immediate surgery is still necessary. On-going improvement is reached by physiotherapy and psychotherapy and with the back school.

Injektionstherapie an der Wirbelsäule ohne Bildsteuerung

Nerve root blocks and epidural perineural injections are main part in the conservative treatment of degenerative spine diseases. These injections should be done without imaging because degenerative spine diseases - discogenic oder spinal stenotic - tend to recurrence and danger arises from too many imaging with cumulative ionizing radiation over the years, especially in younger people. After certain training it is possible to perform spinal injections without imaging only considering topographic anatomical landmarks like in any other local anesthesia for surgical reasons. Repetitive periradicular injections desensitize the nerve root by local anesthetics and reduce its inflammatory swelling by steroids. The decompensated symptomatic deformity turns back into an asymptomatic compensated status.

[Minimal-invasive injection therapy for cervical syndromes]

The specific minimal-invasive injection therapy is a key-procedure for cervical spine syndromes when performing a multimodal pain-therapy. Due to the exactly placed injections pain can be overcome. Indication is given in cases of continuing spine pain and is an alternative to operative procedure, as for as no absolute indication for operation is given. The complex injection technique affords knowledge and expertise. The exact application and the specific complications are presented in detail.