Abstract
The prevalence of mid- and upper back chronic pain is significantly lower than low back and neck pain with reports showing pain of thoracic origin in 5–15% of the patients, compared to 24–44% with neck pain and 33–56% with low back pain. Thoracic intervertebral discs, nerve roots, and facet joints are capable of transmitting pain in the thoracic spine with radiation into the chest wall and abdominal wall. Chronic, persistent thoracic and chest wall pain and radicular pain may be secondary to disc herniation, discogenic pain, spinal stenosis, or post-thoracic surgery syndrome.
Epidural injections are one of the commonly utilized treatment modalities for managing chronic thoracic pain administered by either interlaminar approach or transforaminal approach. There is significant paucity of literature concerning thoracic epidural injections in managing chronic pain, with only one high-quality randomized controlled trial, leading to Level II evidence for thoracic interlaminar epidural injections with no evidence available for thoracic transforaminal epidural injections.
References
Linton SJ, Halldén K. Can we screen for problematic back pain? A screening questionnaire for predicting outcome in acute and subacute back pain. Clin J Pain. 1998;14:209–15.
Anderson R, Meeker WC, Wirick BE, et al. A metaanalysis of clinical trials of spinal manipulation. J Manip Physiol Ther. 1992;15:181–94.
Manchikanti L, Abdi S, Atluri S, et al. An update of comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for interventional techniques of chronic spinal pain: part II: guidance and recommendations. Pain Physician. 2013;16:S49–S283.
Goebert HW Jr, Jallo SJ, Gardner WJ, et al. Painful radiculopathy treated with epidural injections of procaine and hydrocortisone acetate: results in 113 patients. Anesth Analg. 1961;40:130–4.
Wang A, Pilgram TK, Gilula LA. Immediate complications and pain relief associated with 296 fluoroscopically guided thoracic foraminal nerve blocks. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2011;197:1410–6.
Rosas HG, Gilula LA. Performing thoracic transforaminal injections: a new technique. Radiology. 2010;254:595–600.
Benyamin RM, Wang VC, Vallejo R, et al. A systematic evaluation of thoracic interlaminar epidural injections. Pain Physician. 2012;15:E497–514.
Manchikanti L, Cash KA, McManus CD, et al. Thoracic interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic thoracic pain: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial with a 2-year follow-up. Pain Physician. 2014;17:E327–38.
Graybill J, Conermann T, Kabazie AJ, et al. Spinal cord stimulation for treatment of pain in a patient with post thoracotomy pain syndrome. Pain Physician. 2011;14:441–5.
Manchikanti L, Singh V, Falco FJE, et al. The role of thoracic medial branch blocks in managing chronic mid and upper back pain: a randomized, double-blind, active-control trial with a 2-year follow-up. Anesthesiol Res Pract. 2012;2012:585806.
Singh V, Manchikanti L, Onyewu O, et al. An update of appraisal of accuracy of thoracic discography as a diagnostic test for chronic spinal pain. Pain Physician. 2012;15:E757–76.
Manchikanti L, Helm S II, Singh V, et al. Accountable interventional pain management: a collaboration among practitioners, patients, payers, and government. Pain Physician. 2013;16:E635–70.
Awaad EE, Martin DW, Smith KR Jr. Asymptomatic versus symptomatic herniated thoracic discs: their frequency and characteristics as detected by computed tomography after myelography. Neurosurgery. 1991;28:180–6.
Williams MP, Cherryman GR, Husband JE. Significance of thoracic disc herniation demonstrated by MR imaging. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1989;13:211–4.
Yoshihara H. Surgical treatment for thoracic disc herniation: an update. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2014;39:E406–12.
Dietze DD, Fessler RG. Thoracic disc herniations. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 1993;4:75–90.
Glaser SE, Falco FJE. Paraplegia following a thoracolumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection. Pain Physician. 2005;8:309–14.
Glaser SE, Shah RV. Root cause analysis of paraplegia following transforaminal epidural steroid injections: the ‘unsafe’ triangle. Pain Physician. 2010;13:237–44.
Shah RV. Paraplegia following thoracic and lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections: how relevant are particulate steroids? Pain Pract. 2014;14:297–300.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drug Safety Communications. FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA requires label changes to warn of rare but serious neurologic problems after epidural corticosteroid injections for pain. www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM394286.pdf.
Food and Drug Administration. Anesthetic and analgesic drug products advisory committee meeting. 2014 Nov 24–25; Epidural steroid injections (ESI) and the risk of serious neurologic adverse reactions. www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Drugs/AnestheticAndAnalgesicDrugProductsAdvisoryCommittee/UCM422692.pdf.
Manchikanti L, Candido KD, Singh V, et al. Epidural steroid warning controversy still dogging FDA. Pain Physician. 2014;17:E451–74.
Manchikanti L, Falco FJE, Benyamin RM, et al. Epidural steroid injections safety recommendations by the Multi-Society Pain Workgroup (MPW): more regulations without evidence or clarification. Pain Physician. 2014;17:E575–88.
Rathmell JP, Benzon HT, Dreyfuss P, et al. Safeguards to prevent neurologic complications after epidural steroid injections: consensus opinions from a multidisciplinary working group and national organizations. Anesthesiology. 2015. Epub ahead of print.
Manchikanti L, Falco FJE. Safeguards to prevent neurologic complications after epidural steroid injections: analysis of evidence and lack of applicability of controversial policies. Pain Physician. 2015;18:E129–38.
Manchikanti L, Benyamin RM. Key safety considerations when administering epidural steroid injections. Pain Manag. 2015;10:1–12. Epub ahead of print
Manchikanti L, Hirsch JA. Neurological complications associated with epidural steroid injections. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2015;19:482.
Pages E. Anesthesia metamerica. Rev Sanid Mil Madr. 1921;11:351–85.
Dogliotti AM. Segmental peridural anesthesia. Am J Surg. 1933;20:107–18.
Gutierrez A. Valor de la aspiracion liquada en al espacio peridural en la anesthesia peridural. Rev Circ. 1933;12:225.
Bogduk N. Thoracic transforaminal access. In: Practice guidelines for spinal diagnostic and treatment procedures. 2nd ed. San Francisco: International Spine Intervention Society (ISIS); 2013. p. 329–45.
Cooper RG, Freemont AJ, Hoyland JA, et al. Herniated intervertebral disc-associated periradicular fibrosis and vascular abnormalities occur without inflammatory cell infiltration. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1995;20:591–8.
Manchikanti L, Singh V, Datta S. Thoracic and chest wall pain and radicular pain. In: Manchikanti L, Christo PJ, Trescot AM, Falco FJE, editors. Clinical aspects of pain medicine and interventional pain management: a comprehensive review. Paducah: ASIPP Publishing; 2011. p. 61–86.
Botwin KB, Vettichira S. Thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections. In: Manchikanti L, Singh V, editors. Interventional techniques in chronic spinal pain. Paducah: ASIPP Publishing; 2007. p. 383–400.
Lee HM, Weinstein JN, Meller ST. The role of steroids and their effect on phospholipase A2. An animal model of radiculopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1998;23:1191–6.
Minamide A, Tamaki T, Hashizume H. Effects of steroids and lipopolysaccharide on spontaneous resorption of herniated intervertebral discs. An experimental study in the rabbit. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1998;23:870–6.
Korovessis PG. The role of steroids and their effects on phospholipase A2. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000;25:2004–5.
Johansson A, Hao J, Sjolund B. Local corticosteroid application blocks transmission in normal nociceptive C-fibers. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 1990;34:335–8.
Hayashi N, Weinstein JN, Meller ST, et al. The effect of epidural injection of betamethasone or bupivacaine in a rat model of lumbar radiculopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1999;8:877–85.
Manchikanti L, Singh V. Corticosteroids. In: Manchikanti L, Christo PJ, Trescot AM, Falco FJE, editors. Foundations of pain medicine and interventional pain management: a comprehensive review. Paducah: ASIPP Publishing; 2011. p. 589–606.
Sato C, Sakai A, Ikeda Y, et al. The prolonged analgesic effect of epidural ropivacaine in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Anesth Analg. 2008;106:313–20.
Tachihara H, Sekiguchi M, Kikuchi S, et al. Do corticosteroids produce additional benefit in nerve root infiltration for lumbar disc herniation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008;33:743–7.
Pasqualucci A, Varrassi G, Braschi A, et al. Epidural local anesthetic plus corticosteroid for the treatment of cervical brachial radicular pain: single injection versus continuous infusion. Clin J Pain. 2007;23:551–7.
Arner S, Lindblom U, Meyerson BA, et al. Prolonged relief of neuralgia after regional anesthetic block. A call for further experimental and systematic clinical studies. Pain. 1990;43:287–97.
Bicket M, Gupta A, Brown CH, et al. Epidural injections for spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the “control” injections in randomized controlled trials. Anesthesiology. 2013;119:907–31.
Manchikanti L, Nampiaparampil DE, Manchikanti KN, et al. Comparison of the efficacy of saline, local anesthetics, and steroids in epidural and facet joint injections for the management of spinal pain: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Surg Neurol. 2015;6:S194–235.
Kaye AD, Manchikanti L, Abdi S, et al. Efficacy of epidural injections in managing chronic spinal pain: a best evidence synthesis. Pain Physician. 2015 (in press).
Manchikanti L, Falco FJE, Benyamin RM, et al. A modified approach to grading of evidence. Pain Physician. 2014;17:E319–25.
Netter FH. Atlas of Human Anatomy. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, Elsevier; 2006.
Drake R, Vogl W, Mitchell A. Gray’s anatomy for students. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2005. p. 14–99.
Standring S. Macroscopic anatomy of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. In: Standring S, editor. Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 39th ed. London: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone; 2005. p. 775–88.
Standring S. The back. In: Standring S, editor. Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 39th ed. London: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone; 2005. p. 733–74.
Bowsher DA. Comparative study of the azygous venous system in man, monkey, dog, cat, rat and rabbit. J Anat. 1954;88:400–6.
Lirk P, Kolbitsch C, Putz G, et al. Cervical and high thoracic ligamentum flavum frequently fails to fuse in the midline. Anesthesiology. 2003;99:1387–90.
Blomberg R. The dorsomedian connective tissue band in the lumbar epidural space of humans: an anatomical study using epiduroscopy in autopsy cases. Anesth Analg. 1986;65:747–52.
Woollam DHM, Millen JW. The arterial supply of the spinal cord and its significance. J Neurochem. 1955;18:97–102.
Morishita K, Murakami G, Fujisawa Y, et al. Anatomical study of blood supply to the spinal cord. Ann Thorac Surg. 2003;76:1967–71.
Shenouda P, Cunningham B. Assessing the superiority of saline versus air for use in the epidural loss-of-resistance technique: a literature review. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2003;28:48–53.
Mehta S, Khalil AA, Alshekhlee A. Air myelopathy following a cervical epidural injection. Pain Med. 2010;11:1678–9.
Kim TS, Shin SS, Kim JR, et al. Air bubbles mimic disc herniation in MRI after cervical epidural block. Korean J Pain. 2010;23:202–6.
Rathmell JP. Atlas of image-guided intervention in regional anesthesia and pain medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012.
Manchikanti L, Malla Y, Wargo BW, et al. A prospective evaluation of complications of 10,000 fluoroscopically directed epidural injections. Pain Physician. 2012;15:131–40.
Ajar AM, Rathmel JP, Mukherji SK. The subdural compartment. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2002;27:72–6.
Collier CB. Accidental subdural block: four more cases and a radiographic review. Anaesth Intensive Care. 1992;20:215–32.
Collier CB. Accidental subdural injection during attempted lumbar epidural block may present as a failed or inadequate block: radiographic evidence. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2004;29:45–51.
Atluri S, Glaser SE, Shah RV, et al. Needle position analysis in cases of paralysis from transforaminal epidurals: consider alternative approaches to traditional techniques. Pain Physician. 2013;16:321–34.
Alleyne CH Jr, Cawley CM, Shengelaia GG, et al. Microsurgical anatomy of the artery of Adamkiewicz and its segmental artery. J Neurosurg. 1998;89:791–5.
Kroszczynski AC, Kohan K, Kurowski M, et al. Intraforaminal location of thoracolumbar anterior medullary arteries. Pain Med. 2013;14:808–12.
Rauschning W. Normal and pathological anatomy of the nerve root canals. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1987;2:1008–19.
van Roy P, Barbaix E, Clarijs JP, et al. Anatomical background of low back pain: variability and degeneration of the lumbar spinal canal and intervertebral disc. Schmerz. 2001;15:418–24.
Murthy NS, Maus TP, Behrns CL. Intraforaminal location of the great anterior radiculomedullary artery (artery of Adamkiewicz): a retrospective review. Pain Med. 2010;11:1756–64.
Takase K, Sawamura Y, Igarashi K, et al. Demonstration of the artery of Adamkiewicz at multi–detector row helical CT. Radiology. 2002;223:39–45.
Shah RV. Paraplegia following thoracic and lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections: how relevant is physician negligence? J Neurointerv Surg. 2014;6:166–8.
Manchikanti L, Schultz DM, Atluri S, et al. Lumbar epidural injections. In: Manchikanti L, Kaye AD, Falco FJE, et al., editors. Essentials of interventional techniques in managing chronic pain. New York: Springer; 2017.
Manchikanti L, Schultz DM, Glaser SE, et al. Cervical epidural injections. In: Manchikanti L, Kaye AD, Falco FJE, et al., editors. Essentials of interventional techniques in management of chronic pain. New York: Springer; 2017.
Visnjevac O, Kim P, Farid-Davari S, et al. Digital subtraction angiography versus real-time fluoroscopy for detection of intravascular penetration prior to epidural steroid injections: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Pain Physician. 2015;18:29–36.
Chang-Chien GC, Candido KD, Knezevic NN. Digital subtraction angiography does not reliably prevent paraplegia associated with lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection. Pain Physician. 2012;15:515–23.
Chien GC, Candido KD. Digital subtraction angiography is not the answer for safe epidural injections. Pain Physician. 2014;17:E413–4.
Lyders EM, Morris PP. A case of spinal cord infarction following lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection: MR imaging and angiographic findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2009;30:1691–3.
Giebler RM, Scherer R, Peters J. Incidence of neurologic complications related to thoracic epidural catheterization. Anesthesiology. 1997;86:55–63.
Zaugg M, Stoehr S, Weder W. Accidental plural puncture by a thoracic epidural catheter. Anesthesia. 1998;53:69–78.
Bromage PR, Benumof JL. Paraplegia following intracord injection during attempted epidural anesthesia under general anesthesia. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 1998;23:104–7.
Windsor RE, Storm S, Sugar R. Prevention and management of complications resulting from common spinal injections. Pain Physician. 2003;6:473–83.
Mayall MF, Calder I. Spinal cord injury following an attempted thoracic epidural. Anaesthesia. 1999;54:990–4.
Aldrete JA, Ferrari H. Myelopathy with syringomyelia following thoracic epidural anaesthesia. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2004;32:100–3.
Perrson J, Flisberg P, Lundberg J. Thoracic epidural anesthesia and epidural hematoma. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2002;46:1171–4.
Grieve PP, Whitta RK. Pleural puncture: an unusual complication of a thoracic epidural. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2004;32:113–6.
Sklar EML, Quencer RM, Green BA. Complications of epidural anesthesia: MR appearance of abnormalities. Radiology. 1991;181:549–54.
Manchikanti L. Role of neuraxial steroids in interventional pain management. Pain Physician. 2002;5:182–99.
Botwin KP, Baskin M, Rao S. Adverse effects of fluoroscopically guided interlaminar thoracic epidural steroid injections. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006;85:14–23.
Manchikanti L, Falco FJE, Benyamin RM, et al. Assessment of bleeding risk of interventional techniques: a best evidence synthesis of practice patterns and perioperative management of anticoagulant and antithrombotic therapy. Pain Physician. 2013;16:SE261–318.
Horlocker TT, Wedel DJ, Rowlingson JC, et al. Regional anesthesia in the patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy: American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine evidence-based guidelines (third edition). Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2010;35:64–101.
International Spine Intervention Society. Anticoagulants. In: Bogduk N, editor. Practice guidelines for spinal diagnostic and treatment procedures. 2nd ed. San Francisco: International Spine Intervention Society; 2013. p. 9–17.
Manchikanti L, Malla Y, Wargo BW, et al. A prospective evaluation of bleeding risk of interventional techniques in chronic pain. Pain Physician. 2011;14:317–29.
Gogarten W, Vandermeulen E, Van Aken H, et al. European Society of Anaesthesiology. Regional anaesthesia and antithrombotic agents: recommendations of the European Society of anaesthesiology. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2010;27:999–1015.
Horlocker TT, Wedel DJ, Benzon H, et al. Regional anesthesia in the anticoagulated patient: defining the risks (the second ASRA consensus conference on neuraxial anesthesia and anticoagulation). Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2003;28:172–97.
Raj PP, Shah RV, Kaye AD, et al. Bleeding risk in interventional pain practice: assessment, management, and review of the literature. Pain Physician. 2004;7:3–52.
Manchikanti L, Kaye AD, Falco FJE. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy. In: Manchikanti L, Kaye AD, Falco FJE, et al., editors. Essentials of interventional techniques in managing chronic pain. New York: Springer; 2017.
Rose A. Periprocedural anticoagulation – adult – inpatient and ambulatory– clinical practice guideline. UW Health, Original Oct 2011, Revised Feb 2013. http://www.uwhealth.org/files/uwhealth/docs/anticoagulation/Periprocedural_Anticoagulation_Guideline.pdf.
Acknowledgments
This book chapter is modified and updated from a previous book chapter, “Thoracic Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections” by Kenneth P. Botwin, MD and Susan Vettichira, MD, in Interventional Techniques in Chronic Spinal Pain published by ASIPP Publishing. Permission has been obtained from ASIPP Publishing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Manchikanti, L., Schultz, D.M., Glaser, S.E., Falco, F.J.E. (2018). Thoracic Epidural Injections. In: Manchikanti, L., Kaye, A., Falco, F., Hirsch, J. (eds) Essentials of Interventional Techniques in Managing Chronic Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60361-2_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60361-2_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60359-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60361-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)