This week we look at an expansive (over 50,000 patients were a part of the study) piece of research released by The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery in 2013. They found a staggering increased risk for lumbar vertebral fracture with every ESI that a patient received. This is of particular importance because patients typically go through a series of injections over the course of weeks, months, or years. This paper indicates their may be a cumulative effect to these injections and a propensity for vertebral fracture. Clinically, this is important for Chiropractors because, statistically, we are seeing patients every day in practice who may have a heightened risk for vertebral fracture.
The Researchers Found-
“No significant difference between injected and non-injected groups with respect to age, predicted propensity score, sex, race, hypothyroidism, or steroid use.”
“Each successive injection increased the risk of fracture by a factor of 1.21 (95% confidence interval).”
“Of greater concern, the definable fracture risk as documented by Mandel et al. should be set against the best available evidence regarding the long-term efficacy of these interventions, which is admittedly less than robust.” - Andrew J Schoenfeld, MD
Episode Highlights-
This episode brought to you in conjunction with RockTape
A Retrospective Analysis of Vertebral Body Fractures Following Epidural Steroid Injections
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This piece was highlighted as a Monthly Research Brief for the members of The Evidence Based Chiropractor. Our members use research to GROW their practice. Are you interested in increasing your referrals? If so, click here.
