Steroid Injections Linked to Vertebral Fracture

Research recently came to light which shows an increased risk of vertebral fracture for patients whom had received lumbar epidural steroid injections.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, randomly selected 3,000 patients who had a lumbar epidural steroid injection and compared them to 3,000 patients who did not undergo the procedure. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding patient age, gender, corticosteroid use or hyperthyroidism, according to the study abstract.

Researchers found each successive injection increased fracture risk by a factor of 1.21. This is extremely important because many patients receive multiple ESI's (therefore increasing their risk of fracture).

It is extremely important to review your options with your physician prior to treatment. 

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An article on the study-

http://www.healio.com/orthopedics/spine/news/online/%7B1C49EE96-CE0C-4A3A-83F1-D4CDFCCA17BC%7D/Steroid-injection-linked-to-increased-risk-of-vertebral-body-fractures