How safe are lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections (ESIs)?
Lumbar transforaminal ESI holds the risk of penetrating an important radiculomedullary artery i.e. artery of Adamkiewicz. This artery supplies blood to anterior spinal artery. Damage to this artery causes vascular ischemia and distal embolism ultimately causing paraplegia. In order to avoid this complication, clinicians use Kambin triangle for lumbar transforaminal ESIs for injecting corticosteroids. This approach has same efficacy and eliminates the risk of post-injection nerve injury. Thus, lumbar transforminal ESI is safe when approach via Kambin triangle.