| Sciatica: Studies of symptoms, genetic factors, and treatment with periradicular infiltration | ||
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For bulges, at 12 months, NHP emotional reactions were in favor of the saline injection (p<0.05) and SLR in favor of the steroid treatment (p < 0.05). No differences between the treatments in the AUC-scores of evaluated outcomes or number of painless patients were observed.
In the case of contained herniations, the methylprednisolone-bupivacaine injection produced significant treatment effects for leg pain at 2 and 4 weeks, and for NHP emotional reactions at 3 months (Table 4). At 6 months, leg pain, disability and NHP emotional reactions were in favor of saline (Table 4; Leg pain Fig. 6B). The AUC-scores indicated that the steroid option was superior to saline in leg pain and in NHP emotional reactions from baseline to 3 months (for both p < 0.05). In accordance with the aforementioned efficacy in leg pain, the number of painless patients at 2 weeks was significantly in favor of the steroid treatment. For extrusions, leg pain was in favor of saline at 6 months (p < 0.05; Table 4; Figure 6C).
For symptomatic lesions situated at the L3-4-5 levels, the steroid treatment was superior to the saline with respect to leg pain, disability, and SLR at 2 and 4 weeks (Table 4). Similarly, the AUC-score these outcomes from baseline to 3 months, and the number of painless patients at 4 weeks favored significantly the steroid option (P<0.05 for both). The treatment difference in NHP emotional reactions almost reached statistical significance in favor of the steroid group. At the L5-S1 level, between-group treatment difference at 1 year (P= 0.031) and the AUC-score score from 3 to 12 months (P= 0.006) for NHP emotional reactions were in favor of saline but otherwise the treatments were similar.