Efficacy of epidural steroid injections in treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis

Epidural steroid injections (ESI) are used as a conservative therapy for treating lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), yet there is no concrete justification for them. Data from a randomized control trial evaluating the effectiveness of ESI in LSS patients was analyzed. Main outcomes were measured by French-translated LSS symptom severity, physical function, and satisfaction scales over 3 months. The first stage of the analyses evaluated psychometric properties of the scales and showed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The main analyses addressed ESI efficacy. Repeated measures analysis of variance over the first 3 months showed a marginally statistically significant improvement in symptom severity, physical function, and satisfaction in the ESI group, compared to placebo. Treatment effectiveness tended to decrease over time. Differences between groups were not significant at 6 and 12 months. All scales had a significant interaction between treatment and high blood pressure (HBP): subjects without HBP responded substantially better