ReviewThe British journal of radiology2017
A comprehensive review of pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of pain associated with different spinal conditions.
Review in The British journal of radiology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy and safety of pulsed radiofrequency combined with nerve block for cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency Combined with Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion in the Treatment of Subacute Herpes Zoster Neuralgia.Pain research & management · 2022Trial
- Predictors of Treatment Success Following Pulsed Radiofrequency of the Lumbar Dorsal Root Ganglion: A Multivariable Prediction Model with Clinical Nomogram.Current pain and headache reports · 2026Review
- Interventional radiology management of disc herniation: a narrative review.La Radiologia medica · 2026Review
- Pulsed radiofrequency for treatment of complex regional pain syndrome: A scoping review.Interventional pain medicine · 2026Review
- Risk-Stratified Monitoring After Image-Guided Intradiscal Procedures: A Narrative Review And Safety Framework for Interventional Pain Practice.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation and Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment for Chronic Lameness Due to Distal Forelimb Disease in Horses: A Pilot Study.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Clinical and radiological comparison of percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty combined with ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency of cervical nerve root for cervical radicular pain: a retrospective, matched-cohort study.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Transforaminal Steroid Injection After Dorsal Root Ganglion Pulsed Radiofrequency (DRG-PRF): Impact on Pain Intensity and Disability.Pain and therapy · 2024Article
- Image-Guided Minimally Invasive Treatment Options for Degenerative Lumbar Spine Disease: A Practical Overview of Current Possibilities.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Anatomo-physiological basis and applied techniques of electrical neuromodulation in chronic pain.Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care · 2024Review
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- Article
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- Previous Lumbar Spine Surgery Decreases the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dorsal Root Ganglion Pulsed Radiofrequency in Patients with Chronic Lumbosacral Radicular Pain.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Article
- A comparison of pulsed radiofrequency and radiofrequency denervation for lumbar facet joint pain.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2023Article
- Pulsed Radiofrequency 2 Hz Preserves the Dorsal Root Ganglion Neuron Physiological CaJournal of pain research · 2023Article
- Pulsed Radiofrequency Ablation for Orchialgia-A Literature Review.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Investigation of Effectiveness of Pulsed Radiofrequency With Multifunctional Epidural Electrode for Low Back Pain.Cureus · 2021Article
- The Clinical Application of Pulsed Radiofrequency Induces Inflammatory Pain via MAPKs Activation: A Novel Hint for Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment of pain associated with different spinal conditions. The mechanisms of action and biological effects are shortly discussed to provide the scientific basis for this radiofrequency modality.
methodsWe systematically searched for clinical studies on spinal clinical conditions using PRF. We searched the MEDLINE (PubMed) database. We classified the information in one table focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other types of studies. Date of last electronic search was October 2016.
resultsWe found four RCTs that evaluated the efficacy of PRF on cervical radicular pain and five observational studies. Two trials and three observational studies were conducted in patients with facet pain. For disc-related pathology, we found one RCT with PRF applied intradiscally and three RCTs for dorsal root ganglia PRF modulation lumbosacral radicular pain. For sacroiliac joint pain, spondylolisthesis, malignancies and other minor spinal pathology, limited studies were conducted.
conclusionFrom the available evidence, the use of PRF to the dorsal root ganglion in cervical radicular pain is compelling. With regard to its lumbosacral counterpart, the use of PRF cannot be similarly advocated in view of the absence of standardization of PRF parameters, enrolment criteria and different methods in reporting results; but, the evidence is interesting. The use of PRF in lumbar facet pain was found to be less effective than conventional RF techniques. For the other different spinal conditions, we need further studies to assess the effectiveness of PRF. Advances in knowledge: The use of PRF in lumbar facet pain was found to be less effective than conventional RF techniques. For the other different spinal conditions, we need further studies to assess the effectiveness of PRF.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.