Dustin Lash1, Earl Frantz2, Mark Fb Hurdle3. 1. Southern Bone & Joint Specialists P.C., Dothan, AL 36301, USA. 2. Carolinas Center for Surgery, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA. 3. Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
Abstract
Aim: Cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) has demonstrated efficacy in the management of knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. A typical procedure involves fluoroscopic placement of internally cooled radiofrequency probes to ensure the probes are located near target genicular nerves. Patients & methods: A new technique was developed to perform CRFA using ultrasound (US) guidance. Patient outcomes were reported using a telephone survey. Results: Ablation procedures were successfully performed using US guidance. A total of 51 patients were retrospectively identified for telephone screening. A total of 22 patients completed the telephone questionnaire. There were no safety concerns identified and the majority of patients reported satisfactory outcomes. Conclusion: Patient outcomes demonstrate that US-guided CRFA procedures provide pain relief and functional improvement. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy of US-guided CRFA to fluoroscopy-guided CRFA procedures.
Aim: Cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) has demonstrated efficacy in the management of knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. A typical procedure involves fluoroscopic placement of internally cooled radiofrequency probes to ensure the probes are located near target genicular nerves. Patients & methods: A new technique was developed to perform CRFA using ultrasound (US) guidance. Patient outcomes were reported using a telephone survey. Results: Ablation procedures were successfully performed using US guidance. A total of 51 patients were retrospectively identified for telephone screening. A total of 22 patients completed the telephone questionnaire. There were no safety concerns identified and the majority of patients reported satisfactory outcomes. Conclusion:Patient outcomes demonstrate that US-guided CRFA procedures provide pain relief and functional improvement. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy of US-guided CRFA to fluoroscopy-guided CRFA procedures.