Krych and his team considered the injections successful if athletes returned to play within game conditions with no overtime and no additional surgical procedures. They found 89% of patients were fit to return to play, and the players continued an average of 3 seasons with 10 of the players still on the field. Four players required repeat injection with inability to return to play following a second injection, and three players needed surgery.
“In our hands, epidural steroid injections were an effective therapeutic option for treatment of acute lumbar disk herniation in professional athletes,” Krych said. “They appear to be safe and well-tolerated with minimal side effects. In this small study, risk factors for failure included sequestered disk on MRI as well as presentation of lower extremity weakness. We continue to recommend an individualized treatment approach for our athletes.”
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