[Influence of local anesthesia methods on the results of radiofrequency facet denervation].

Background: One of the elements of lower back pain is facet syndrome. Radiofrequency facet denervation is an effective minimally invasive method for this pain. There is no consensus regarding local anesthesia method for this manipulation. Researchers believe that introduction of anesthetic before denervation leads to needle displacement and deterioration of effect.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of local anesthesia methods on the results of radiofrequency facet denervation.

Material and methods: A single-center retrospective study included adults with typical pain syndrome who underwent radiofrequency facet denervation L3-S1 between 2022 and 2024. Patients were divided into three groups depending on anesthesia. In the control group («K»), patients did not receive injection of anesthetic in ablation area. In the main groups, patients received injection of anesthetic before (group «A») and after (group «B») denervation. Intensity of pain syndrome during denervation and 24 hours later was assessed using the VAS scale. After 6 months, effectiveness of the procedure was assessed using the SF-36 and ODI.

Results and discussion: The study involved 351 people. Of these, 131 ones were excluded for various reasons. Patients were divided into groups: control - 67, group «A» - 87, group «B» - 66 people. Six months after denervation, all patients demonstrate significant reduction in pain syndrome and QoL improvement without significant between-group differences. Pain syndrome during denervation and on the first day after surgery was significantly lower in the group «A».

Conclusion: Injection of anesthetic before denervation does not affect the result, while this approach significantly reduces pain syndrome during intervention.