Effectiveness of radiofrequency rhizotomies of genicular nerves for treating chronic pain in knee osteoarthritis

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of lower extremity disability in the elderly, primarily affecting lower extremity joints, such as the knee and hip. Elder patients with comorbidities may not be suitable candidates for surgery. For these difficult to treat cases, radiofrequency (RF) rhizotomies may be an effective alternative treatment. Likewise, it has been found that RF therapy can improve joint function and reduce pain by preventing the transmission of pain signals thus easing the patient. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of radiofrequency rhizotomies of genicular nerves in treating knee pain caused by knee osteoarthritis. Results: A total of 100 patients were enrolled in the current study. The mean age of patients was 62.7+9.7. Majority of the patients were female (69%), married (79%), and overweight (58.0%). Regarding affected knee sites, 39% had left, 34% right and 29% had both knees affected, respectively. There was a significant difference in mean scores among patients before and after treatment follow-up. The mean pain score before starting the treatment was 7.63+1.11, in the 1st week. The follow up mean pain score was 3.94+0.874, which further reduced in the 12th week to 1.51+1.12. The pain score, OKS and HADs significantly improved from baseline to 12th week follow up which shows that RFA was an effective treatment for OA knee pain (P-value <0.05) which shows that Radiofrequency rhizotomies of genicular nerves was an effective treatment for OA knee pain (P-value <0.05). Conclusion: Radiofrequency rhizotomies of genicular nerves is a safe and effective treatment option for patients suffering from chronic pain caused by knee OA.