Project Lead: Gregor Goetz
Authors: Mirjana Huic (first author; HTA/EBM Center, Croatia) Gregor Goetz (second author; AIHTA)
Publication: November 2023
Language: English (with German summary)
We performed a guideline synopsis to identify indications for the use of image-guided interventions and summarise the subsequent recommendations. We also considered potential organisational or social aspects.
Ten clinical guidelines fulfilled our eligibility criteria. Seven were related to epidural injections in four indications (axial discogenic pain, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, post-surgery syndrome) and five clinical guidelines on facet joint injections in one indication (axial facet joint pain). The majority are related to the lumbar spine. Only three guidelines on epidural injections and four on facet joint injections provided recommendations on imaging modalities.The synopsis of recommendation for epidural injections is inconsistent in two clinical indications, axial discogenic pain and spinal stenosis, with con-flicting recommendations across CGs. The same is true for facet joint injections, for both nerve block and intraarticular injections. The other two clinical indications for epidural injections, disc herniation and post-surgery syndrome, included both strong and weak recommendations for using epidural injections.