Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37016862›Full record

ArticleNeurospine2023

Navigation-Assisted Full-Endoscopic Radiofrequency Rhizotomy Versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation for Sacroiliac Joint Pain Treatment: Comparative Study.

Chien-Min Chen, Jae Hwan Lee, Meng-Yin Yang, Shang-Wun Jhang, Kai-Sheng Chang, Su-Wei Ou, Li-Wei Sun, Kuo-Tai Chen

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurospine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Management of sacroiliac joint pain: current concepts.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Observational
  7. Article
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

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Chien-Min ChenDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Changhua, Taiwan.
Jae Hwan LeeDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Changhua, Taiwan.
Meng-Yin YangDepartment of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung Taiwan.
Shang-Wun JhangDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Changhua, Taiwan.
Kai-Sheng ChangDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Changhua, Taiwan.
Su-Wei OuDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Changhua, Taiwan.
Li-Wei SunDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Changhua, Taiwan.
Kuo-Tai ChenDepartment of Neurosurgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Chiayi, Puzi, Taiwan.
Changhua Christian Hospital · TWChiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital · TWDayeh University · TWNational Chung Hsing University · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveSacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is a common cause of chronic low back pain. Full-endoscopic rhizotomy of lateral branches of dorsal rami innervating SIJ is a potential option for patients' refractory to medical treatment. The full-endoscopic rhizotomy is sometimes challenging under fluoroscopic guidance. This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the navigation-assisted full-endoscopic rhizotomy for SIJ pain.

methodsThe study was a retrospective match-paired study that enrolled consecutive patients undergoing navigation-assisted full-endoscopic rhizotomy for SIJ pain. The patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and operative parameters of endoscopic rhizotomy were compared with conventional cooled radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment.

resultsThe study enrolled 72 patients, including 36 patients in the endoscopic group. Thirty-six patients in the cooled RFA group were matched by age as the control. The follow-up time was at least 1 year. Patient characteristics were similar between the groups. The navigation-assisted endoscopic rhizotomy operation time was significantly longer than the cooled RFA. The visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) significantly decreased after each treatment. However, the between-group comparison revealed that the VAS and ODI of the patients after endoscopic rhizotomy were significantly lower than those after the cooled RFA group. There were no postoperative complications in the study.

conclusionNavigation-assisted full-endoscopic rhizotomy is an alternative to SIJ pain treatment. Integrating intraoperative navigation can ensure accurate full-endoscopic rhizotomy to provide better durability of pain relief than the cooled RFA.

Indexed as

Endoscopic rhizotomyNavigationRadiofrequency ablationSacroiliac joint

Identifiers

PMID37016862
PMCPMC10080431
OpenAlexW4362475986

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.