Sciatic-nerve radiofrequency ablation for phantom limb pain: A case report

Phantom and residual limb pain are commonly experienced by the majority of amputees, and are often difficult to treat not adequately relieved with medical treatment alone. While extensively studied, the pathophysiology of refractory pain is still unclear, with many proposed mechanisms under investigation (Wilkes et al., 2008). Limited existing literature suggests percutaneous interventions including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may be promising treatment modalities for patients who have pain refractory to oral agents (Sperry et al., 2023). We present a patient with persistent phantom limb and cancer-associated acetabular pain following hip disarticulation who underwent sciatic-notch RFA for pain management.