title: Surgical management of refractory craniomandibular pain using radiofrequency thermolysis: a report of thirty patients.
abstract: Radiofrequency thermolysis has traditionally been used to treat pain disorders of differing etiologies primarily in the low back and cervical areas. This paper describes the use and results of a different and simplified approach to surgical management of extracapsular disorders, namely, temporal tendinitis, Ernest Syndrome, and occipital myalgia-neuralgia where conservative attempts have failed. A brief discussion of the pain disorders are addressed along with the methods of differential diagnosis, conservative therapy, and traditional surgical treatment. Finally, surgical management using radiofrequency thermolysis is described with results of treatment in 30 patients showing a 96% success rate.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wilk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017271:Craniomandibular Disorders / Q000601:surgery*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000601:surgery; D000078702:Radiofrequency Therapy; D012780:Short-Wave Therapy; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome