Cervical radiculopathy is a common clinical condition, affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 individuals each year, and is typically characterized by neck pain radiating to the upper extremities. Although about 90% of patients respond to conservative treatment, cervical epidural steroid injection is widely used as an interventional alternative to surgery in those with symptoms refractory to conservative management. However, concerns regarding the safety of cervical epidural steroid injection have increased in recent years. Ultrasound-guided cervical retrolaminar block, which does not require entry into the neuraxial space, is considered a theoretically safer technique. In this prospective, randomized study, 70 patients with cervical radiculopathy refractory to conservative treatment were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either ultrasound-guided cervical retrolaminar block (n = 35) or fluoroscopy-guided cervical epidural steroid injection (n = 35). The study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of these two interventional approaches.
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Change in pain intensity assessed by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Timeframe: At baseline and at 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the procedure.