Radiofrequency Ablation

Excerpt

Since the 1950s, electrical currents have been used to create predictable thermal lesions; however, the use of radiofrequency for intractable pain did not appear in the literature until the 1970s. The basic premise involves the passage of radiofrequency currents through an electrode placed near a nociceptive pathway to interrupt the pain impulses. The thermal energy creates a predictable area of tissue destruction that is targeted to contain the nerves responsible for transmitting and/or modulating pain sensation. Today, there are variations of thermal ablative procedures stemming from the discussed basic premise. These include pulsed radiofrequency ablation (PRF), water-cooled radiofrequency ablation (WCRF), and cryoneurolysis (CN).