The Effect of Magnesium Deficiency on Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection Success: An Observational Study

The study will be conducted by retrospectively scanning the files of patients with paracentral/subarticular protruded disc herniation and who underwent transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESE) to the lumbosacral region, at the Algology Department of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, between January 2022 and January 2024. In order to prevent heterogeneity, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patients will be evaluated in consultation with a radiologist. The common consensus classification created by the American Society of Spine Radiology (ASSR), American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) and North American Spine Society (NASS) is used to classify disc herniations. will be used. Numeric Rating Scale-11 (NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) will be recorded from the patients' files before the procedure, in the first month and in the third month to evaluate age, gender, symptom duration, pain and functionality. The initial pain severity of the patients will be determined by the NRS-11 score, and a decrease of 50% or more in the NRS-11 score in the first month after the procedure will be considered as benefiting from the treatment. The Mg level of the patients before the procedure will be scanned in the hospital system and those that can be accessed will be recorded.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients whose medical analgesic treatment was changed during their three-month follow-up;
• Those with fibromyalgia;
• Those with metabolic diseases (chronic renal failure, spondyloarthropathies, diabetes, hypo/hyperthyroidism, etc.) that may affect serum magnesium level;
• Those with a history of lumbar surgery;
• those taking magnesium or calcium supplements;
• Those with malignancy or obesity;
• Those with psychiatric illness;
• Those without lumbar MRI; Patients whose clinical, physical examination and laboratory data cannot be accessed