Trial reportRMD open2024
Cryoneurolysis versus radiofrequency ablation outcome on pain experience in chronic low back pain (COPE): a single-blinded randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in RMD open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04786145 (Cryoneurolysis Outcome on Pain Experience), which is not on this map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Cryoneurolysis Outcome on Pain Experience (COPE) in Patients With Low-back Pain - a Single-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Current evidence on radiofrequency denervation for chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Consensus practice guidelines on sacroiliac joint complex pain from a multispecialty, international working group.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2025Guideline
- Comparison of percutaneous 60-day peripheral nerve stimulation of the lumbar medial branches to usual care with standard interventional management for chronic low back pain-a multicenter pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RESET).Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2026Trial
- Review
- Cryoneurolysis as a Neuroregenerative Intervention for Chronic Painful Mononeuropathies: A Four-Patient Case Series and Discussion.Cardiovascular and interventional radiology · 2025Article
- Percutaneous Cryoneurolysis of Splanchnic Nerves for Pain Palliation in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: A Single-Center Experience.Cardiovascular and interventional radiology · 2025Observational
- Innovations in Chronic Pain Treatment: A Narrative Review on the Role of Cryoneurolysis.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
- Comparison of the Short- and Long-Term Effects of Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation and Intralesional Cryoablation Treatments on Pain Management and Functional Recovery in Patients Diagnosed With Calcaneal Spur: Retrospective Study.Pain research & management · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveA comparison of cryoneurolysis or radio frequency (RF) with placebo in patients with facetogenic chronic low back pain (LBP) for patient global impression of change (PGIC), pain intensity, function and quality of life, with 1-year follow-up.
designSingle-centre, single-blinded placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial.
settingSingle-centre study.
participantsInclusion from March 2020 to September 2022: consenting adults over 18 years of age, LBP>3 months, average Numeric Rating Scale LBP≥4 average last 14 days and a positive response to a diagnostic medial branch block (
interventions120 patients were block randomised 1:1:1 to cryoneurolysis, RF or placebo of the medial branch nerves. Physical therapy was added after 4 weeks for all groups.
main outcome measuresPrimary outcome was PGIC 4 weeks after the intervention. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS), quality of life (Short Form 36, EQ-5D-5L), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), depression (Major Depression Inventory) and catastrophising (Pain Catastrophising Scale). Outcomes were measured at 4 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months.
resultsThere was no statistically significant difference in PGIC at 4 weeks between cryoneurolysis and placebo (risk ratio (RR) 2; 95% CI 0.75 to 5.33, p=0.17) and RF and placebo (RR 1.6; 95% CI 0.57 to 4.49, p=0.37), except PGIC for cryoneurolysis at 6-month follow-up (RR 5.1; 95% CI 1.20 to 22.03, p=0.03). No statistically significant differences were found in secondary follow-up endpoints.
conclusionsDenervation of the medial branch nerve by either cryoneurolysis or RF compared with placebo did not demonstrate significant improvement in PGIC, pain intensity, function and quality of life in patients with facetogenic chronic LBP at short-term or long-term follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04786145.
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