title: A Comparison of Genicular Nerve Treatment Using Either Radiofrequency or Analgesic Block with Corticosteroid for Pain after a Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Study.
abstract: Knee osteoarthritis is a disease that affects a third of the population over 65 years of age, and it is increasingly becoming a motive for consultation and a source of pain and disability. The gold standard surgical treatment is a total knee arthroplasty; however, 15% to 30% of patients who have undergone surgery continue to experience pain and functional limitation.
  
  
  
  A double-blind, randomized clinical study compared neurolysis using traditional radiofrequency (RF) to local anesthetic and corticosteroid block of the superolateral, superomedial, and inferomedial branches of the knee genicular nerves in patients who had total knee arthroplasty but still experience pain.
  
  
  
  Twenty-eight patients, 14 on each treatment arm, were followed for over a 1-year period. A reduction in pain and significant joint function improvement during the first 3 to 6 months was shown, with similar results using both techniques. No adverse effects were noted. An improvement in both disability and quality of life was observed, as well as a reduction in the need for analgesics in both treatment groups.
  
  
  
  Further clinical trials need to be undertaken, with a larger sample size, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of this technique and to detect the possible appearance of any long-term adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital de Hellin, Hellin, Albacete, Spain.
authors.forename: Salima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qudsi-Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borrás-Rubio
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Abellan-Guillén
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: María Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Padilla Del Rey
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Merino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D003714:Denervation / Q000379:methods*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local
keywords: genicular nerves; knee arthritis; knee pain; radiofrequency ablation; total knee arthroplasty