• João Vale, Eduardo Rocha, Carolina Lemos, Cristina Valente, Renato Andrade, João Espregueira-Mendes, and Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto.
• Department of Orthopaedics, Spinal Unit (UVM), Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
• Spine. 2023 Dec 1; 48 (23): E391E400E391-E400.

Study DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.ObjectiveEvaluate the role of systemic steroids in treating patients with sciatica due to lumbar disk herniation (LDH).Summary Of Background DataThe association between LDH and sciatica has been well described. The use of steroids seems logical in this context; however, their efficacy is not well described, and their use remains controversial.MethodsA comprehensive search on PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases (up to February 15, 2022) was performed to identify randomized clinical trials that included patients with symptoms of sciatica due to LDH that were treated with systemic steroids. The risk of bias was judged using the Cochrane risk-of-Bias2 tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model to estimate the between-group effect size for pain and functional outcomes. The risk of developing adverse events (AE) was computed using relative risks. All pooled results are reported with their 95% confidence interval (CI) and certainty of evidence analyzed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework.ResultsTen studies met inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 1017 participants: 540 in the treatment group and 477 in the control group. Steroid treatment was associated with a significant superior reduction of pain (SMD = -0.42, 95% CI -0.76 to -0.08, weak effect, very-low certainty) and reduction in disability (SMD = -0.30, 95% CI -0.51 to -0.10, weak effect, very-low certainty). Corticosteroid administration was associated with a significant increased risk of developing an AE (relative risks = 2.00, 95% CI 1.40 to 2.85, low certainty).ConclusionThe use of systemic steroids in the treatment of sciatica due to LDH seems reasonable despite a 2-fold higher risk of developing mild AEs. However, the effect size is small for reducing pain in the short term and improving functional outcomes at long-term follow-up.Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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