European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
-
To evaluate the accessibility of the preganglionic epidural space in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy treated with epidural steroid injection (ESI) through trans-lateral recess (TLR) approach. ⋯ When delivered using the TLR approach, epidural injections result in excellent drug spread within the preganglionic area (i.e., ventral epidural contrast filling and periradicular infiltration of exiting and transversing nerve roots). As noted previously that higher rates of pre-ganglionic epidural infiltration might be led to improvements in clinical pain and disability, epidural injections delivered using the TLR approach are expected to complement existing epidural modalities. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.