ArticleJournal of spine surgery (Hong Kong)2018
An epidural steroid injection in the 6 months preceding a lumbar decompression without fusion predisposes patients to post-operative infections.
Article in Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of Preoperative Epidural Spinal Injections on Complications After Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- FactFinders for patient safety: Do epidural steroid injections increase the risk of fracture or lumbar surgical site infection?Interventional pain medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Infective Spondylitis in Adults: A Journey Through Diagnosis, Management, and Future Directions.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The association between preoperative epidural steroid injections and postoperative cervical and lumbar surgical site infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.North American Spine Society journal · 2024Review
- Preoperative Epidural Steroid Injections and Postoperative Infections After Lumbar or Cervical Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes · 2023Article
- Article
- The effect of epidural steroid injection during surgery on surgical site infections following lumbar fusion.Surgical neurology international · 2023Article
- Lumbar Spinal Steroid Injections and Infection Risk after Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Asian spine journal · 2022Article
- The Impact of Corticosteroid Injection Timing on Infection Rates Following Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Global spine journal · 2022Article
- Preoperative Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection Increases the Risk of a Dural Tear During Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy.International journal of spine surgery · 2022Article
- Pain Management During COVID-19 and Steroids: Striking a Balance.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2020Article
- Comparison of interlaminar CT-guided epidural platelet-rich plasma versus steroid injection in patients with lumbar radicular pain.European radiology · 2020Article
- Infection Risk of Lumbar Epidural Injection in the Operating Theatre Prior to Lumbar Fusion Surgery.Journal of pain research · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo determine if the timing of a lumbar epidural steroid injection (LESI) effects rates of post-operative infection in patients receiving a non-fusion lumbar decompression (LDC) due to degenerative disc disease (DDD). Lumbar pain due to DDD can frequently be temporized or definitively treated with epidural injections. While there is ample literature regarding the infection risks associated with corticosteroid injections prior to hip/knee replacements, there are few studies relating to the spine.
methodsA nationwide insurance database was queried to identify those who underwent LDC for DDD without instrumentation [2005-2014]. Lumbar fusion procedures were excluded. From this group those with a history of a LESI were identified and matched to a control group without a history of LESI. Four separate cohorts were examined: (I) LDC and no LESI within 6 months (control); (II) LDC performed within 0-1 month after LESI; (III) LDC between 1 and 3 months after LESI; (IV) LDC performed between 3 and 6 months after LESI.
resultsThere was an increased odds of a 90-day postoperative infection if the LESI was within the 1-3 months (OR =4.69; P<0.001) and 3-6 months (OR =5.33; P<0.001) interval prior to the LDC.
conclusionsWhile LESI is helpful for possibly delaying or avoid lumbar surgery, it may predispose patients to higher infection rates following lumbar decompressions without fusion. Surgeons and pain management specialist should counsel patients on these risks and.
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