Spine injections: the rationale for CT guidance

Skeletal Radiol. 2023 Oct;52(10):1853-1862. doi: 10.1007/s00256-022-04188-1. Epub 2022 Sep 23.

Abstract

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems and is associated with high socioeconomic costs. Imaging-guided spinal injections are a minimally invasive method to evaluate where the back pain is originating from, and to treat patients with radicular pain or spinal stenosis with infiltration of corticosteroids. CT-guided spine injections are a safe procedure, characterized by precise needle placement, excellent visualization of the relevant anatomical structures, and low radiation exposure for the patient and the interventional radiologist. In this review article, the variety of applications of CT-guided injections (focused on nerve roots and epidural injections) and the optimal injection procedure as well as risks and side effects are discussed.

Keywords: CT-guided spine injections; Epidural injection; Nerve root block; Steroid injections.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Back Pain / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Injections, Epidural / methods
  • Nerve Block* / methods
  • Spinal Stenosis*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed