Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39809501›Full record

ArticleAnesthesia and pain medicine2025

Transforaminal lumbar epidural injection of dexmedetomidine versus magnesium sulfate combined with dexamethasone for lower limb radicular pain management: a randomized, clinical trial.

Mina Maher Raouf, Gehan Ibrahim Abdelrazek Salem, Fady Adib Abdel Malek, Tamer Youssef Elie Hamawy, Sadik Abdel-Maseeh Sadik, Mohammad Awad Elsaed

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Anesthesia and pain medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. A Randomized Trial Comparing Potato Poultice Compress Versus Traditional Medicated Compress for Forearm Swelling After Trans-Radial Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions · 2026
    Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mina Maher RaoufDepartment of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
Gehan Ibrahim Abdelrazek SalemDepartment of Rheumatology, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt.
Fady Adib Abdel MalekDepartment of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Tamer Youssef Elie HamawyDepartment of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Sadik Abdel-Maseeh SadikDepartment of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Almenofyia University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mohammad Awad ElsaedDepartment of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alfayoum University, Alfayoum, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpidural steroid injections are frequently used to treat chronic radicular pain of a discogenic origin; however, their efficacy remains limited. Magnesium sulfate and dexmedetomidine are emerging adjuvants with the potential to enhance the effectiveness and prolong the therapeutic duration of steroid injections.

methodsIn this randomized, double-blind study, 90 patients with unilateral lower limb radiculopathy due to lumbar disc prolapse who did not respond to conservative treatment for 12 weeks were assigned to three groups. The control group received dexamethasone (4 mg), lidocaine 2% (40 mg), and saline. The magnesium group received magnesium sulfate (200 mg) with dexamethasone and lidocaine. The dexmedetomidine group received dexmedetomidine (50 mg), dexamethasone, lidocaine, and saline. Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale at 1 week and 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. Secondary outcomes included the Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI), analgesic consumption, and procedure-related complications.

resultsBoth magnesium and dexmedetomidine significantly reduced pain, disability, and analgesic consumption for up to 3 months. By 6 months, the magnesium group demonstrated significant improvement in pain scores and MODI and a decline in ibuprofen use compared to the control and dexmedetomidine groups.

conclusionsMagnesium significantly reduced pain intensity, disability, and analgesic consumption over a 6-month observation period.

Indexed as

Epidural injectionsIntervertebral disc displacemenMagnesiumRadiculopathyVisual analog score

Identifiers

PMID39809501
PMCPMC12066206

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.