2023 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster
Ultrasound-Guided Conventional Radiofrequency in Painful Total Knee Arthroplasty
Luís Amaral Oliveira, MD, Braga PORTUGAL
Miguel Correia, MD, Póvoa de Varzim, Porto PORTUGAL
Eugenio Goncalves, MD, Porto, Porto PORTUGAL
Rodrigo Correia, MD, Porto PORTUGAL
Andre Borges, MD, Porto PORTUGAL
Ines Andrade, MD, Porto PORTUGAL
Jose Luis Carvalho, MD, Porto PORTUGAL
Centro de Reabilitação do Norte, Portugal, Valadares, Porto, PORTUGAL
FDA Status Cleared
Summary
Genicular nerves radiofrefrequency ablation is a reliable and safe treatment option for persistent pain after total knee arthrosplasty.
ePosters will be available shortly before Congress
Abstract
Background
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the surgical gold standard treatment for end-stage knee osteoarthritis. Nowadays, global demand for TKA is increasing due to the growing prevalence of knee osteoarthritis. Chronic pain after total joint replacement (TJA), specifically total knee replacement (TKA), is becoming more of a burden on patients, physicians, and the healthcare system as the number of joint replacements performed increases year after year. The management of this type of pain is critical, and therefore, understanding the various modalities physicians can use to help patients with refractory pain after TKA is essential.
Design and setting
Retrospective Case Series, outpatient context.
Aim
Subjective pain and functional evaluation.
Participants
Patients with Total Knee Arthroplasty submitted to Genicular Conventional Radiofrequency Ablation between 2018-2020 at Centro de Reabilitação do Norte (North Rehabilitation Center), Portugal.
Intervention
Targeted ultrasound-guided genicular nerves conventional (thermal) radiofrequency ablation (Medial Inferior, Medial Superior, Lateral Superior and Lateral Inferior Genicular Nerves).
Main outcome measures
Visual Numeric Scale (VNS) before, 3, 6 and 12 months after procedure. Treatment success was defined as a pain decrease in VNS = 50%.
Results
57% patients submitted to procedure had at least 50% pain improvement at 3 months, and 37,5% at 6 months. No acute or late complications were registered during follow-up.
Discussion/Conclusions
We found 4 studies using ultrasound-guided conventional radiofrequency in which 1 is a case report, 1 case series and 2 retrospective cohorts. Our results at 3 months follow up had similar success rate to other studies. An optimized more complex multitargeted radiofrequency protocol according to patient's knee pain distribution can be the key improve pain relief success rate. Genicular nerves radiofrequency ablation continues to prove to be a reliable and safe option for chronic knee pain after TKA.