Comparison of the Effect of Single Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections for the Treatment of L4-5 and L5-S1 Paramedian Disc Herniation

AIM: To compare the outcomes of fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections between L4-L5 paramedian disc herniation and L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation for the treatment of radicular pain. MATERIAL and METHODS: A total of 593 patients treated by transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of L4-5 paramedian disc herniation and 504 patients treated by transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation were included in the study. All the patients were regularly followed up for 12 weeks. Preprocedural Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, 12-week post-procedural VAS scores and complications were were recorded. RESULTS: The mean preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores for L4-5 paramedian disc herniation were 63.09 +/- 5.37 and 15.81 +/- 3.58, respectively, and the mean preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores for L5-S1paramedian disc herniation were 61.15 +/- 5.45 and 27.06 +/- 3.62, respectively, for radicular pain. There was a statistically significant difference between preprocedural and postprocedural VAS scores for L4-5 and L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation (p<0.05). Transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L4-5 paramedian disc herniation were more effective than transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation. CONCLUSION: This study showed that transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L4-5 paramedian disc herniation were more effective than transforaminal epidural steroid injections for L5-S1 paramedian disc herniation in the 12-week follow-up period.