Efficacy of Epidural Etanercept in the Treatment of Sciatica

As per the wishes of the Dept. of the Army and Walter Reed Army Medical Center Dept. of Clinical Investigation, patients will be randomized in a 3:1 ratio to receive 2 transforaminal epidural etanercept or saline injections at 2-week intervals. Both patients and physicians will be blinded as to the injectate and treatment group. There will be 3 study groups. Group I will receive either 2 mg of etanercept or saline per injection. Group II will receive either 4 mg of etanercept or saline per injection. Group III will receive either 6 mg of etanercept or saline per injection. In each group there will be 8 patients: 6 who receive etanercept and 2 who receive saline. As per a previous study we just completed, etanercept doses will not be escalated until all 6 patients have completed their 1-month follow-up visits without any evidence of toxicity or complications.