Evaluating Predictors of Pain Reduction After Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Knee Pain

Abstract

Aim: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of genicular nerves can treat refractory chronic knee pain. This study evaluated association between patient and procedural characteristics and pain improvement after genicular nerve RFA. Materials & methods: A retrospective chart review. Data were extracted from patients who underwent thermal or cooled RFA of the knee. Results: A total of 124 patients were included. 81% of patients reported ≥75% pain relief after diagnostic nerve blocks. 35% reported ≥50% pain reduction from the RFA. Predictors of improved pain outcomes included higher baseline pain, no depression and thermal (vs cooled) RFA. Conclusion: Identifying patients who may benefit the most from genicular RFA is still not clear. Pain reduction differences between patients with and without depression and RFA type deserves further exploration.

Lay abstract

Aim: Using heat energy to stun the nerves (Radiofrequency ablation) that supply knee joint is a technique that can be used to decrease persistent knee pain. This study was performed to try to see if there are any ways that doctors are able to predict which patients will benefit from this therapy. Materials & methods: The data were collected by reviewing charts. Results: A total of 124 patients were included in this study. The data did not show that good pain relief after diagnostic injection guaranteed success with this technique of stunning of the nerve with heat energy (RFA). The things that can possibly predict success are more severe pain to start with, people who do not suffer from depression and use of higher level of heat energy to stun the nerves. Conclusion: It is still not clear which patients will benefit from this technique of stunning the nerves of the knee with heat energy.

Keywords::

• depression
• genicular nerves
• knee pain
• thermal RFA
• water-cooled RFA

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.