Genicular Nerve Phenol Neurolysis or Radiofrequency Ablation for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis ?
Comparison of the efficacy of genicular nerve phenol neurolysis and radiofrequency ablation for pain management in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Korean J Pain . 2023 Oct 1;36(4):450-457.Seventy patients with chronic refractory knee osteoarthritis pain were randomized to receive phenol neurolysis (n=35) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (n=35). Outcomes of interest were the effectiveness of pain relief as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), changes in pain on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores, the incidence of adverse effects such as paresthesia, and comparisons of treatment efficacy over a three-month period. Overall, the results of the study revealed that both treatments provided significant pain relief with no major differences in efficacy or WOMAC and NRS scores between the two methods. However, phenol neurolysis had a higher rate of transient paresthesia. The findings suggest that both phenol neurolysis and RFA are viable options for managing KOA pain, with phenol neurolysis being a potentially lower-cost alternative to RFA despite its higher risk of transient nerve sensitivity.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics