The effect of repeated zygapophysial joint radiofrequency neurotomy on pain, disability, and improvement duration.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of repeated radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) on pain, disability, and treatment effect duration.


METHODS
One hundred-four patients who underwent repeat RFN for chronic neck or back pain were prospectively followed using a Pain Disability Questionnaire-Spine (PDQ-S). Complete data sets were available for 73, 73, and 36 patients for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd RFN, respectively.


RESULTS
Pain intensity, pain frequency, and patient-specific disability measures were significantly improved post-initial, second, and third RFN. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference among the PDQ-S scores post-RFN 1, 2, and 3. There was no statistical significance between the duration of pain relief post-RFN 1 and pain relief post-RFD 2.


CONCLUSIONS
Repeated cervical and lumbar RFN reduces pain and disability with equal effectiveness for approximately 10 months in patients with facetogenic chronic neck and back pain.
Rambaransingh
Brian
B
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. brianmd2@gmail.com
Stanford
Gordon
G
Burnham
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D003714:Denervation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011846:Radio Waves; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*