Chen Y, Vu T, Chinchilli V, Farrag M, Roybal A, Huh A, Cohen ZO, Becker A, Arvanaghi B, Agrawal M, Ogden J, Cohen S

There has been a surge in interest in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the genicular nerves over the past decade, with wide variability in selection, technique and outcomes. The aim of this study is to determine factors associated with treatment outcome. They retrospectively evaluated the effect of 23 demographic, clinical and technical variables on outcomes in 265 patients who underwent genicular nerve RFA for knee pain at 2 civilian and 1 military hospital. A primary outcome was designated as a > 30% decrease in average knee pain score lasting at least 3 months without cointerventions.

Chen, Y., Vu, T. N., Chinchilli, V., Farrag, M., Roybal, A., Huh, A., Cohen, Z., Becker, A., Arvanaghi, B., Agrawal, M., Ogden, J., & Cohen, S. (2021). Clinical and technical factors associated with knee radiofrequency ablation outcomes: A multicenter analysis. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2020-102017

Cohen S, Provenzano D, Narouze S

Cohen SP, Provenzano DA, Narouze S. (2021). Facet guidelines, serial medial branch blocks and issues surrounding recommending procedures with no mechanistic foundation. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2020-101634.

Cohen S, Bhaskar A, Bhatia A, Buvanendran A, Deer T, Garg S, Hooten M, Hurley R, Kennedy D, McLean B, Moon J, Narouze S, Pangarkar S, Provenzano D, Rauck R, Sitzman B, Smuck M, Zundert J, Vorenkamp K, Wallace M, Zhao Z

The past two decades have witnessed a surge in the use of lumbar facet blocks and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat low back pain (LBP), yet nearly all aspects of the procedures remain controversial. Lumbar medial branch RFA may provide benefit to well-selected individuals, with MBB being more predictive than IA injections. More stringent selection criteria are likely to improve denervation outcomes, but at the expense of more false-negatives. Clinical trials should be tailored based on objectives, and selection criteria for some may be more stringent than what is ideal in clinical practice.

Cohen SP, Bhaskar A, Bhatia A, et al. (2020). Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for lumbar facet joint pain from a multispecialty, international working group. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2019-101243