Abstract / Summary
Objective: This study aimed to examine changes in spinal injection utilization in Korea between two observation periods, 2008-2012 and 2018-2022. Methods:We analyzed records from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database, using procedure-specific treatment codes to identify spinal injections and classify them as cervicothoracic or lumbar.We assessed patient and procedure counts, along with patient demographic characteristics.Annual medical costs were calculated based on standardized NHIS fees, adjusted using sampling weights, and converted to U.S. dollars (USD). Results: From 2008 to 2022, the number of patients receiving spinal injections increased from 432,795 to 3,743,410, while the annual number of procedures rose from 1,017,715 to 13,919,792.The average annual number of injections per patient increased from 2.35 to 3.72.Lumbar injections accounted for most procedures, with their share rising from 81.3% in 2008 to 89.8% in 2022.Annual medical costs increased more than 13-fold, from approximately 45.4 million USD in 2008 to 606.3 million USD in 2022.Conclusion: Spinal injection utilization and associated medical costs in Korea increased substantially between the two observation periods in this nationwide study.