Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30777903›Full record

Trial reportRegional anesthesia and pain medicine2019

Randomized prospective trial of cooled versus traditional radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch nerves for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain.

Zachary L McCormick, Heejung Choi, Rajiv Reddy, Raafay H Syed, Meghan Bhave, Mark C Kendall, Dost Khan, Geeta Nagpal, Masaru Teramoto, David R Walega

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Regional anesthesia and pain medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT02478437 phase3completednot on this map

A Prospective Trial of Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation of Medial Branch Nerves for the Treatment of Lumbar Facet Syndrome

TypeinterventionalSponsorNorthwestern UniversityRan2015 to 2018Enrolled48ConditionsLow Back PainArmsConventional radiofrequency ablation (RFA), Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation (CRFA)
NCT04542798 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Central Sensitization and Aberrant Nerve Sprouting Possible Explanations for RFA Failure of MBDR in CLBP of FJ Origin: CRF Versus WCRF or PRF-DRG Randomized Clinical Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorHospital General Universitario de ValenciaRan2020 to 2024Enrolled80ConditionsLow Back Pain, Recurrent, Neuropathic Pain, Facet Joint Pain, Central SensitisationArmsRadiofrequency COSMAN
NCT07309731 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Impact OF Cooled Versus Thermal Radiofrequency Denervation In Management Of Chronic Lumber Facet Joint Pain.Prospective Study.

TypeinterventionalSponsorZagazig UniversityRan2026 to 2026Enrolled100ConditionsLumber Facet Joint Pain(Lower Back Pain ) Relief by Cooled Radiofrequency or Thermal Radiofrequency DenervationArmsthermal radio frequency denervation, Cooled Radiofrequency denervation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Zachary L McCormickDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Zachary.McCormick@hsc.utah.edu.
Heejung ChoiDepartment of Anesthesiology, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Rajiv ReddyDepartment of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Raafay H SyedDepartment of Orthopedics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Meghan BhaveNorthwest Suburban Pain Center, Schaumberg, Illinois, USA.
Mark C KendallDepartment of Anesthesiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Dost KhanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Geeta NagpalDepartment of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Masaru TeramotoDepartment of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
David R WalegaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Northwestern University · USBrown University · USStanford University · USUniversity of California, San Diego · USUniversity of Utah · USWest Suburban Medical Center · US

Funding

Interdisciplinary Anesthesiology Research Training ProgramT32GM121318 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Hemal H Patel, DAVID M ROTH · 2017 to 2026
$1.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM121318
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesNo previous study has assessed the outcomes of cooled radiofrequency ablation (C-RFA) of the medial branch nerves (MBN) for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain nor compared its effectiveness with traditional RFA (T-RFA). This study evaluated 6-month outcomes for pain, function, psychometrics, and medication usage in patients who underwent MBN C-RFA versus T-RFA for lumbar Z-joint pain.

methodsIn this blinded, prospective trial, patients with positive diagnostic MBN blocks (>75% relief) were randomized to MBN C-RFA or T-RFA. The primary outcome was the proportion of 'responders' (≥50% Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) reduction) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included NRS, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Patient Global Impression of Change.

resultsForty-three participants were randomized to MBN C-RFA (n=21) or T-RFA (n=22). There were no significant differences in demographic variables (p>0.05). A ≥50% NRS reduction was observed in 52% (95% CI 31% to 74%) and 44% (95% CI 22% to 69%) of participants in the C-RFA and T-RFA groups, respectively (p=0.75). A ≥15-point or ≥30% reduction in ODI score was observed in 62% (95% CI 38% to 82%) and 44% (95% CI 22% to 69%) of participants in the C-RFA and T-RFA groups, respectively (p=0.21).

conclusionsWhen using a single diagnostic block paradigm with a threshold of >75% pain reduction, both treatment with both C-RFA and T-RFA resulted in a success rate of approximately 50% when defined by both improvement in pain and physical function at 6-month follow-up. While the success rate was higher in the C-RFA group, this difference was not statistically significant. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02478437.

Indexed as

Lumbar VertebraeZygapophyseal JointAdultAgedArthralgiaCatheter AblationCryotherapyFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSingle-Blind MethodTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID30777903
PMCPMC7017749
OpenAlexW2924492236

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

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.