Twelve-Month Follow-Up of a Randomized Trial Assessing Cooled Radiofrequency Denervation as a Treatment for Sacroiliac Region Pain

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

This study presents the findings of a 12-month follow-up from a previous randomized study that included 51 patients with sacroiliac region low back pain who were randomized to receive either cooled radiofrequency lateral branch neurotomy (CRF/LBN) or sham treatment. Pain, disability, and quality of life outcomes at 12-months were compared to baseline values to identify if the positive effects observed at 3- month follow-up were sustained. Additionally, 16 of 17 patients in the original sham group were allowed to crossed-over to CRF/LBN treatment at 3 months and outcomes were reported for this group following treatment. The results displayed significant improvements in pain and disability, but not quality of life, from baseline to 12 months in the intervention group, indicating that the positive effects were sustained over a 1 year period. Patients in the crossover group also experience significant improvements in pain and function following treatment.