Comparison of Caudal Epidural Steroid Injection with Interlaminar Lumbar Epidural Injection in treating Spinal Stenosis

Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition caused by narrowing of spinal canal. Steroid injection either lumbar or caudal can improve the functional outcome and low back pain. Aim: To compare the outcome of caudal epidural steroid injection with lumbar epidural steroid injection in treating spinal stenosis in patients suffering from sciatica. Methods: In this prospective study 338 patients having low backache due to spinal stenosis with sciatica were included from June 2013 to December 2014. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group I and II. Patients in Group I (160 patients) received caudal epidural steroid injections while the patients in Group II (178 patients) received lumbar epidural steroid injections. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to assess outcome of the Caudal and Lumbar steroid injections and was measured at 2 weeks, at 3months, and improvement was declared if VAS decrease >= 50% of baseline and Oswestry disability index decrease >= 40% at 3 months. Results: In group I, there were 70(43.75%) males and 90(56.25%) females, while in group II there were 98(55.1%) males and 80(44.9%) females. The mean age of the patients in group I was 46.46 +/- 10.37 (18-75 years) years and was 43.77 +/- 15.27 years (18-75 years) in group II (P=0.0619). The change in pain score (>50%) was observed in 159 (89.33%) in group II compared with 121 (75%) in group I (P=0.0008). Conclusion: Lumbar epidural of steroids injections are more effective then caudal epidural injection of steroids in treating spinal stenosis.