[Thermal radiofrequency of the medial genicular nerves in chronic pain related to degenerative meniscopathy. A clinical case]

Abstract

Persistent knee pain in patients around the fifth decade of life is a frequent cause of attention in rehabilitation consultations. The most common cause of diagnosis is knee osteoarthritis, considering the existence of different degrees seen in simple radiographies. The advanced degrees present joint space reduction, osteophytosis and subchondral sclerosis; however, in the initial degrees, the findings are more subtle and sometimes nonexistent for conventional radiology. Clinical ultrasound has partly come to fill this «diagnostic gap», making it possible to detect meniscal extrusions and small osteophytes as signs of incipient osteoarthritis and to relate them as triggers of pain. In clinical practice we find a group of patients who, with little or no radiological alterations, present persistent and severe pain with medial predominance in most cases. These, until the appearance of the current evidence, were subsidiaries of meniscectomies. At this moment, when meniscectomies are not recommended, it is necessary to find a treatment for those cases in which conservative and non-ablative interventional treatment has failed. In this context, the possibility of using radiofrequency arises. Its use is widespread in the case of tricompartmental and advanced osteoarthritis. However, little data is available on its usefulness in cases of medial meniscal extrusion. It seems that thermal radiofrequency has greater effects than pulsed radiofrequency. We present a clinical case where thermal radiofrequency of the medial genicular nerves of the knee is proposed as a therapeutic alternative for chronic pain secondary to medial meniscal extrusion associated with incipient knee osteoarthritis, with the result of a decrease in pain (VAS 8 before treatment, VAS 1 after one year), subjective improvement of 80% and gait capacity.

Keywords: Degenerative meniscopathy; Dolor; Extrusión meniscal; Genicular nerves; Gonartrosis; Knee osteoarthritis/gonarthrosis; Meniscal extrusión; Meniscopatía degenerativa; Nervios geniculares; Pain; Radiofrecuencia térmica; Thermal radiofrequency.