Safety Considerations for Spinal Injections

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UCSF Radiologist Dr. Dillon goes over a list of important issues to keep in mind when performing a spinal injection. He also shares a couple non-UCSF cases where these considerations were ignored.

Selective Nerve Root Block Complications

Embolization of Artery Adamkiewicz
- 85% of individuals arises between T9 and L2
- May arise from the lower lumbar spine and rarely from S1
- 6 reports of paraplegia from lumbar injections (L3-4 and S1)
- Particulate mixture higher risk
  - Decadron-no particulates, safer in thoracic and cervical
Vertebral artery injection
- Cervical injections under fluoro are higher risk