ArticleAnesthesiology and pain medicine2012
Evaluation of pulsed radiofrequency denervation in the treatment of chronic facetjoint pain: an observational study.
Article in Anesthesiology and pain medicine, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Pulsed Versus Conventional Radiofrequency Stimulation in Cervical Facet-Mediated Neck Pain: A Single-Centre Retrospective Cohort Study Outcomes.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A comparison of pulsed radiofrequency and radiofrequency denervation for lumbar facet joint pain.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2023Article
- Effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency on the medial cervical branches for cervical facet joint pain.World journal of clinical cases · 2022Article
- The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) Evidence-Based Clinical Guideline of Interventional Treatments for Low Back Pain.Journal of pain research · 2022Review
- Radiofrequency facet joint denervation in the lumbar spine.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2017Article
- A comprehensive review of pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of pain associated with different spinal conditions.The British journal of radiology · 2017Review
- The Treatment of Joint Pain with Intra-articular Pulsed Radiofrequency.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2013Article
- Intravenous application of pulsed radiofrequency-4 case reports.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2013Article
- Using pulsed radiofrequency for chronic pain.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2012Article
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLow back disorder is the most common problem in the entire spinal axis. About two-thirds of adults suffer from low back pain (LBP) at some time. Pain generators in the lumbar spine include the annulus of the disc, the posterior longitudinal ligament, a portion of the dural membrane, the facet joints, the spinal nerve roots and ganglia, and the associated paravertebral muscle fascia. There is no doubt that the facet joint is a potential source of chronic LBP. Facet joints are true synovial joints that have a joint space, hyaline cartilage surfaces, a synovial membrane, and a fibrous capsule. Two medial branches of the dorsal rami innervate the facet joints. If conservative measures fail in the treatment of facet joint pain, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) of the medial branches can be administered.
objectivesThe aim of this observational study was to evaluate the efficacy of PRF in the treatment of lumbar chronic facet joint pain. PATIENTS AND
methodsIn this prospective observational study, we selected 300 patients who suffered from lumbar facet joint pain, were referred to the Pain Therapy Department, and underwent PRF treatment of the lumbar medial branches. We analyzed patients with facet joint pain that was unresponsive to conventional treatment, with a positive response to diagnostic medial branch block, who underwent PRF of the lumbar area for 18 months at San Giovanni Hospital of Rome.
resultsThree hundred patients were eligible for the study. After 1 month, 62% of patients (186 patients) reported good pain relief [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53, 0.7]; 8.6% (26 patients) reported excellent pain relief (95% CI 0.07-0.09); 20. 4% (61 patients) reported poor pain relief (95% CI 0.18-0.22), and 9% (27 patients) reported no pain relief (95% CI 0.08-0.099). The average pain numeric rating scale (NRS) score before the procedure was 6 (range 4-9), decreasing to 2 after the procedure (range 0-4). SF-36 physical and mental parameters improved significantly after the treatment [≥ 1 standard deviation (SD)]. Results after 6 months were similar to those obtained after 1 month.
conclusionsThis study suggests that PRF treatment of the lumbar medial branches provides good pain relief for at least 6 months in 70% of patients who suffer from lumbar facet joint pain.
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