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Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation

  • Authors:
    • Evangelos Sakellariou
    • Panagiotis Karampinas
    • Athanasios Galanis
    • Evangelia Argyropoulou
    • Dimitris Tzortzis
    • Andreas Morakis
    • Nikolaos Parchas
    • Meletis Rozis
    • Vasileios Marougklianis
    • Angelos Kaspiris
    • Elias Vasiliadis
    • Spyros Pneumaticos
  • View Affiliations / Copyright

    Affiliations: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, KAT General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 14561 Athens, Greece, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University General Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece, Interventional Radiology Department, KAT General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 14561 Athens, Greece
    Copyright: © Sakellariou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0].
  • Article Number: 76
    |
    Published online on: October 14, 2025
       https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.275
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Abstract

Vertebrogenic chronic low back pain (CLBP) significantly impairs the quality of life of patients, necessitating effective treatment strategies. The present study compared two intervention strategies for this condition: Intradiscal steroid injection (IDSI) in one group with 12 patients, vs. intraosseous basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation (BVA) in another group of 10 patients. The present study included patients aged 18‑70 years, irrespective of sex, whilst specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. IDSI involves corticosteroid injections into the intervertebral disc, reducing inflammation and pain, whereas BVA targets the basivertebral nerve to disrupt pain signals. A retrospective analysis of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores of the patients before and after treatment revealed that both treatments effectively reduce disability. The IDSI revealed a higher percentage of complete symptom resolution (at 75%), whereas BVA appeared to provide more consistent and notable improvements across patients, with complete symptom resolution at 70%. Despite potential side‑effects, such as transient pain, increased blood sugar levels, nerve damage or infection, both treatments provide substantial pain relief and benefits that outweigh typical side‑effects, presumably underscoring the importance of personalized treatment plans. Nonetheless, taking into consideration the notable limitations of the present study, it is essential to emphasize the requirement for further larger‑scale research.
View Figures

Figure 1

ODI score improvement for patients
treated with IDSI. ODI, Oswestry Disability Index; IDSI,
intradiscal steroid injection.

Figure 2

ODI score improvement for patients
treated with BVA. ODI, Oswestry Disability Index; BVA,
basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation.

Figure 3

Improvement outcomes of patients
treated with IDSI. IDSI, intradiscal steroid injection.

Figure 4

Improvement outcomes of patients
treated with BVA. BVA, basivertebral nerve radiofrequency
ablation.
View References

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
Spandidos Publications style
Sakellariou E, Karampinas P, Galanis A, Argyropoulou E, Tzortzis D, Morakis A, Parchas N, Rozis M, Marougklianis V, Kaspiris A, Kaspiris A, et al: Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation. Med Int 5: 76, 2025.
APA
Sakellariou, E., Karampinas, P., Galanis, A., Argyropoulou, E., Tzortzis, D., Morakis, A. ... Pneumaticos, S. (2025). Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation. Medicine International, 5, 76. https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.275
MLA
Sakellariou, E., Karampinas, P., Galanis, A., Argyropoulou, E., Tzortzis, D., Morakis, A., Parchas, N., Rozis, M., Marougklianis, V., Kaspiris, A., Vasiliadis, E., Pneumaticos, S."Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation". Medicine International 5.6 (2025): 76.
Chicago
Sakellariou, E., Karampinas, P., Galanis, A., Argyropoulou, E., Tzortzis, D., Morakis, A., Parchas, N., Rozis, M., Marougklianis, V., Kaspiris, A., Vasiliadis, E., Pneumaticos, S."Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation". Medicine International 5, no. 6 (2025): 76. https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.275
Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Sakellariou E, Karampinas P, Galanis A, Argyropoulou E, Tzortzis D, Morakis A, Parchas N, Rozis M, Marougklianis V, Kaspiris A, Kaspiris A, et al: Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation. Med Int 5: 76, 2025.
APA
Sakellariou, E., Karampinas, P., Galanis, A., Argyropoulou, E., Tzortzis, D., Morakis, A. ... Pneumaticos, S. (2025). Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation. Medicine International, 5, 76. https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.275
MLA
Sakellariou, E., Karampinas, P., Galanis, A., Argyropoulou, E., Tzortzis, D., Morakis, A., Parchas, N., Rozis, M., Marougklianis, V., Kaspiris, A., Vasiliadis, E., Pneumaticos, S."Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation". Medicine International 5.6 (2025): 76.
Chicago
Sakellariou, E., Karampinas, P., Galanis, A., Argyropoulou, E., Tzortzis, D., Morakis, A., Parchas, N., Rozis, M., Marougklianis, V., Kaspiris, A., Vasiliadis, E., Pneumaticos, S."Comparative analysis of treatments for vertebrogenic chronic low back pain: Intradiscal steroid injections vs. basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation". Medicine International 5, no. 6 (2025): 76. https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.275
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