Ultrasound-Guided Versus Conventional Radioscopic-Guided Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections for Cervical Radicular Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Study Summary

7 studies including 1104 patients with cervical radicular pain were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing ultrasound-guided transforaminal (USF) injections with conventional radioscopic-guided epidural steroid injections. Pooled outcomes included pain reduction, functional improvement measured using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), inadvertent intravascular injection risk, and procedure time. USF injections demonstrated comparable pain relief and functional improvement to conventional techniques at follow-up. However, USF injections were associated with significantly fewer inadvertent intravascular injections and shorter procedure times. These findings suggested that USF injections offered procedural safety and efficiency advantages without compromising clinical effectiveness.