Comparing the Safety and Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation on Genicular Nerve, Intraarticular Pulsed Radiofrequency with Steroid Injection in the Pain Management of Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is characterized by the clinical symptoms of chronic knee pain and knee dysfunction, leading to disability and influencing the quality of life in severe cases. Radiofrequency treatment is a new method to reduce KOA-related pain and partially improve knee joint dysfunction without adverse effect.

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the treatment efficacy of radiofrequency thermocoagulation on the genicular nerve (RFTGN) and intraarticular pulsed radiofrequency (IAPRF) for KOA.

Study design: Retrospective comparative study design.

Setting: This study took place at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University.

Method: KOA patients were randomly assigned to the RFTGN, IAPRF, and intraarticular steroid injection (IAS) groups. All procedures were performed under the guidance of computed tomography (CT). The observation indicators of this study were the numeric rating scale (NRS), Oxford knee scale (OKS), and perceived global effect (GPE). The time points for the assessment were 1-week, 1-month, 3-months, and 6-months after the treatment.

Results: The postoperative NRS scores in the 3 groups decreased significantly at all the observation time points as compared to the pretreatment scores (P < 0.05). For the patients in the IAS group, the analgesic effect was in a rebound trend, which was the best at 1-week posttreatment, and was close to the preoperative level at 6-months posttreatment. The short-term (1 week or 1 month) analgesic effect of the RFTGN group was better than that of the IAPRF group, and was similar in the long-term (3 or 6 months). The long-term analgesic effect of RFTGN and IAPRF groups was better than that of IAS group. The results of the OKS score were similar to the NRS score. The RFTGN group showed markedly improved knee function in the long-term than the IAPRF and IAS groups. The short-term treatment satisfaction was similar in each group, and some differences were detected between the groups with respect to long-term treatment satisfaction.

Limitation: This study was a single-center retrospective study with a relatively small sample cohort and short follow-up periodCONCLUSION: Both RFTGN and IAPRF could alleviate the knee joint pain and improve the knee joint dysfunction; however, the treatment efficacy of RFTGN was better than that of IAPRF.

Keywords: genicular nerve; intraarticular; knee osteoarthritis; knee pain; pulsed radiofrequency; radiofrequency thermocoagulation; steroid.