Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34531682›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain research2021

Efficacy of Radiofrequency Neurotomy in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rajesh N Janapala, Laxmaiah Manchikanti, Mahendra R Sanapati, Srinivasa Thota, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Alan D Kaye, Joshua A Hirsch

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pain research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

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  11. Update on Non-surgical Treatments for Lumbar Pain.Revista brasileira de ortopedia · 2025
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  12. [Update on Non-surgical Treatments for Lumbar Pain].Revista brasileira de ortopedia · 2025
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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

7 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Rajesh N JanapalaSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9660-9512
Laxmaiah ManchikantiPain Management Centers of America, Paducah, KY, USA.
Mahendra R SanapatiPain Management Centers of America, Evansville, IN, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1047-0765
Srinivasa ThotaPain Management Centers of America, Evansville, IN, USA.
Alaa Abd-ElsayedUW Health Pain Services, and Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
Alan D KayeDepartments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neurosciences, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA.
Joshua A HirschNeurointerventional Radiology and Spine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Pain Management Centers Of America · USGeorge Washington University · USHarvard University · USLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport · USUniversity of Louisville · USWisconsin Department of Health Services · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe objective of the systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency neurotomy as a therapeutic lumbar facet joint intervention. PATIENTS AND

methodsUtilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. A comprehensive literature search of multiple data sources from 1966 to September 2020 including manual searches of bibliography of known review articles was performed. The inclusion criteria were based on the selection of patients with chronic low back pain with diagnosis confirmed based on controlled diagnostic blocks and with the publication of at least 6 months of results of appropriate outcome parameters. Quality assessment of the trials was performed with Cochrane review criteria and interventional pain management techniques-quality appraisal of reliability and risk of bias assessment (IPM-QRB). The level of evidence of effectiveness is classified at five levels ranging from Level I to Level V. The primary outcome measure was a significant reduction in pain, eg, short term (up to 6 months) and long term (more than 6 months). The secondary outcome measure was an improvement in functional status.

resultsA total of 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met the inclusion criteria for evaluating the efficacy of lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy. Radiofrequency neurotomy showed Level II evidence for efficacy for both the short term and long term.

conclusionThis systematic review of the assessment of the efficacy of radiofrequency neurotomy in managing chronic low back pain was based on the inclusion of 12 RCTs with a diagnostic block and at least 6 months of follow-up results that showed Level II evidence for both short-term and long-term improvement.

Indexed as

diagnostic facet joint nerve blocksfacet joint nerve blocksfacet joint painmeta-analysisradiofrequency neurotomyrandomized trialssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID34531682
PMCPMC8439627
OpenAlexW3199049197

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.