New Simple Ultrasound-Guided Transforaminal Injection in Patients With Radiculopathy in the Lower Cervical Spine: A Computed Tomography-Controlled Study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of a new simple ultrasound-guided transforaminal injection in patients with cervical radiculopathy. METHODS: Ultrasound scans of the neck in a plastic model and in 5 unaffected participants were first performed to identify the intervertebral foramen. Then ultrasound-guided transforaminal injections were performed in 20 patients with radiculopathy in the lower cervical spine, and computed tomography was used to verify the accuracy. Complications, the visual analog score, and the neck disability index were assessed at 1 and 3 months after the injection. RESULTS: Computed tomography confirmed that the needle tip was correctly placed in the intervertebral foramen in 88.5% (23 of 26) of injections. No immediate or short-term complications were observed in all patients. The visual analog score and neck disability index at 1 and 3 months were significantly lower than those before the injection (both P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound may be a feasible and accurate method to guide cervical transforaminal injection.