Efficacy of intraoperative epidural steroids in lumbar discectomy: a systematic review

Table 2 Analysis of series reporting significant and non-significant reduction in the postoperative pain score

Series reporting	Early outcome			Intermediate outcome			Late outcome
	(1Hour-2Weeks)			(+2Weeks-2Months)			(+2Months-1Year)
	Total series number [References]	Total patients number	Median publication year	Total series number [References]	Total patients number	Median publication year	Total series number [References]	Total patients number	Median publication year
Significant reduction in pain score	9	758	2007	4	397	2006	2	280	2006
Significant reduction in pain score	[2–5, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25]			[4, 17, 20, 23]			[17, 20]
Non-significant reduction in pain score	2	194	2005	3	267	2007	6	580	2008
Non-significant reduction in pain score	[18, 21]			[2, 19, 25]			[2, 4, 5, 19, 22, 23]
No pain score	5	519	1992	9	807	2002	8	611	1994
	[17, 24, 26–28]			[3, 5, 18, 21, 22, 24, 26–28]			[3, 18, 21, 24–28]

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