Shah Malkesh, Patel Kunj R, Undhad Ravi, Patel Chintankumar B
Orthopaedics, Smt BK Shah (SBKS) Medical Institute and Research Center, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University, Vadodara, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 10;17(8):e89754. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89754. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Transforaminal nerve root block (TFNRB) is a precise local injection technique used to target a particular inflamed nerve root that causes lumbar radiculopathy for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Lumbar radiculopathy is characterized by radiating lower extremity pain following specific dermatomal patterns, typically resulting from nerve root compression or inflammation. While its management includes conservative treatment as the first line of treatment, conservative treatments often fail, necessitating alternative interventions such as TFNRB and other invasive operative interventions. This study evaluates the efficacy, safety, and outcomes of TFNRB in managing lumbar radiculopathy.
A study was conducted involving 30 patients in the 18-60 age group who presented with chronic radicular pain persisting for over six weeks and refractory to conservative measures. All patients underwent TFNRB under fluoroscopic guidance. Pain and disability were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) criteria pre- and post-procedure at regular intervals, and final results were evaluated using the MacNab criteria.
Mean VAS scores reduced from 7.8 ± 1.1 pre-procedure to 2.5 ± 1.3 at six months (p < 0.01). ODI scores demonstrated significant improvement, decreasing from 65.4% ± 5.3% to 25.6% ± 4.2% (p < 0.01). Out of 30 patients, the majority reported sustained pain relief, with minor complications in two cases.
TFNRB is an effective, minimally invasive intervention for lumbar radiculopathy, providing significant pain relief and functional improvement with minimal adverse effects.
经椎间孔神经根阻滞（TFNRB）是一种精确的局部注射技术，用于针对引起腰椎神经根病的特定发炎神经根，以达到诊断和治疗目的。腰椎神经根病的特征是沿着特定皮节模式出现下肢放射性疼痛，通常由神经根受压或炎症引起。虽然其治疗包括以保守治疗作为一线治疗方法，但保守治疗往往失败，因此需要诸如TFNRB和其他侵入性手术干预等替代干预措施。本研究评估了TFNRB在治疗腰椎神经根病方面的疗效、安全性和结果。
对30名年龄在18至60岁之间、患有持续超过六周的慢性神经根性疼痛且对保守措施无效的患者进行了一项研究。所有患者均在透视引导下接受TFNRB。在术前和术后定期使用视觉模拟量表（VAS）和奥斯维斯特里功能障碍指数（ODI）标准评估疼痛和功能障碍，并使用MacNab标准评估最终结果。
平均VAS评分从术前的7.8±1.1降至六个月时的2.5±1.3（p<0.01）。ODI评分显示出显著改善，从65.4%±5.3%降至25.6%±4.2%（p<0.01）。在30名患者中，大多数患者报告疼痛持续缓解，有两例出现轻微并发症。
TFNRB是一种治疗腰椎神经根病的有效、微创干预措施，能在产生最小副作用的情况下显著缓解疼痛并改善功能。
