POiSE

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Predictors of Outcome in Sciatica patients following an Epidural steroid injection: A prospective cohort study

• IRAS ID

  290108

• Contact name

  Siobhan Stynes

• Contact email

  s.stynes@keele.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Keele University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 8 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Sciatica can be very painful and is usually due to a disc herniation (“bulging” or “slipped” disc) pressing on a spinal nerve. For some patients the pain persists and one management option, if the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan confirms a disc herniation, is a spinal epidural steroid injection (ESI). The ESI aims to relieve leg pain, improve function and reduce the need for spinal surgery. For some patients they work well, but not for others. The aims of this study are to test factors, including patient characteristics, clinical examination and imaging findings that help us to predict who does well and who doesn’t after an ESI.
  
  This study will recruit 439 sciatica patients considered by the treating clinician as suitable for an ESI. Patients who have an ESI will take part as well as patients who are suitable for an ESI but don’t go on to have this treatment (for example their symptoms recover while waiting for the ESI). Participants will receive weekly text messages until 12 weeks following their ESI and at 6 months following their ESI, asking about their leg pain severity. Participants will also complete questionnaires at baseline, and at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months following their ESI. Participants that do not have the injection will be texted weekly for 18 weeks and at 30 weeks and will receive questionnaires at baseline, 12 weeks, 18 and 30 weeks. Using this information, the study will aim to determine what combination of factors predict who does well and who doesn’t after an ESI and whether the effects of these factors differ in the group who did not have an ESI.

  This research will mean clinicians can offer sciatica patients better information about their likelihood of improvement following ESI, and support patient and clinical decision-making about this treatment.

• REC name

  South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/SC/0257

• Date of REC Opinion

  17 Aug 2021

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion