[Lumbar CT-guided radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch of the dorsal ramus of the spinal nerve : Anatomic study and description of a new technique]

Radiofrequency Denervation of the Spine and the Sacroiliac Joint: A Systematic Review based on the Grades of Recommendations, Assesment, Development, and Evaluation Approach Resulting in a German National Guideline

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review of the literature and subsequent meta-analysis for the development of a new guideline.

OBJECTIVES

This manuscript summarizes the recommendations from a new clinical guideline published by the German Spine Society. It covers the current evidence on recommendations regarding the indication, test blocks and use of radiofrequency denervation. The guidelines aim is to improve patient care and efficiency of the procedure.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary working group formulated recommendations based on the Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.

RESULTS

20 clinical questions were defined for guideline development, with 87.5% consensus achieved by committee members for one recommendation and 100% consensus for all other topics. Specific questions that were addressed included clinical history, examination and imaging, conservative treatment before injections, diagnostic blocks, the injected medications, the cut-off value in pain-reduction for a diagnostic block as well as the number of blocks, image guidance, the cannula trajectories, the lesion size, stimulation, repeat radiofrequency denervation, sedation, cessation or continuation of anticoagulants, the influence of metal hardware, and ways to mitigate complications.

CONCLUSION

Radiofrequency (RF) denervation of the spine and the SI joint may provide benefit to well-selected individuals. The recommendations of this guideline are based on very low to moderate quality of evidence as well as professional consensus. The guideline working groups recommend that research efforts in relation to all aspects of management of facet joint pain and SI joint pain should be intensified.

Analgesic effect of epidural anesthesia via the intervertebral foramen approach in percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Satisfactory intraoperative analgesia is critical for percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED). Local anesthesia (LA) and epidural anesthesia (EA) are recommended for PTED. LA alone does not achieve satisfactory pain management during PTED and other analgesics or sedatives are usually needed. Traditional EA, which involves implanting an epidural catheter through the midline or paramedian, has disadvantages such as difficulty in catheterization and increased preoperative preparation time. Rather than performing conventional EA, we injected local anesthetics through the intervertebral foramen during the puncture process, which we termed lumbar transforaminal EA (LTEA), and observed its feasibility and safety. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive comparison of differences in analgesia between LA and LTEA in patients with PTED.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent PTED between January 2018 and January 2021. Patients were divided into LA and LTEA groups. Data obtained from the electronic medical records included primary outcomes (visual analog scale [VAS] scores and anesthesia satisfaction rate) and secondary outcomes, including vital signs such as heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), total dosage of fentanyl, operation time, X-ray exposure time, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and complications.

RESULTS

In total, 160 patients (80 in each group) were analyzed in this study. The VAS scores for lumbar and leg pain were significantly lower in the LTEA group than in the LA group (P < 0.0001). The anesthesia satisfaction rate was 90.0% in the LTEA group and 72.5% in the LA group (P < 0.005). MAP and HR values in the LTEA group were significantly lower than those in the LA group (P < 0.05). The total dose of fentanyl in the LTEA group was significantly lower than that in the LA group (P < 0.05). As for ODI values, the average operation time, X-ray exposure time, and incidence of complications were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LTEA simplifies the process of EA and can achieve a good analgesic effect intraoperatively without increasing the preoperative preparation time; thus, it may be adopted as an alternative mode of anesthesia during PTED surgery.

Spiral Computed Tomography Imaging Analysis of Positioning of Lumbar Spinal Nerve Anesthesia under the Concept of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery

The objective of this research was to explore the effect of perioperative anesthesia management for patients based on the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and the application value of the computed tomography (CT) localization method in lumbar spinal nerve anesthesia, reducing the damage caused by anesthesia. One hundred and twenty patients who underwent the lumbar spinal anesthesia in lower limb surgery were selected as the research subjects. According to puncture positioning and nursing intention, the patients were classified into the control group with 30 patients (method of anatomical landmarks), CT group with 50 patients (the CT localization), and ERAS group with 40 patients (the CT localization and the ERAS management). The effects of the anesthesia positioning method and the ERAS management were compared and analyzed. The results showed that d (0.32) and r (0.27) of exponential filtering function were notably smaller than those of R-L filtering function (d = 0.40, r = 0.39) and of S-R filtering function (d = 0.37, r = 0.36) (P < 0.05). Puncture time ((9.23 ± 0.32) min vs. (13.11 ± 0.45) min), puncture direction change (20% vs. 33.33%), abnormal puncture sensation (22% vs. 40%), and nerve root touch (4% vs. 23.33%) in the CT group were all lower than those in the control group. The proportion of Degree I anesthesia effect (94%) of the CT group was greatly higher than that of the control group (76.67%) (P < 0.05). The VAS score, time of activity and gastrointestinal function recovery, and the incidence of adverse reactions (2.5% vs. 28%) in the ERAS group were lower than those in the CT group (P < 0.05). All in all, the CT localization method can improve the difficulty of anesthesia puncture and improve the anesthetic effect; the ERAS nursing concept can improve the postoperative pain of patients and contribute to the prognosis of patients and have a good clinical value.

[Interdisciplinary position paper: the value of radiofrequency denervation in the treatment of chronic pain]

Radiofrequency denervation has been established for many years as an important minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of chronic pain conditions. Positive experiences of many users for various indications are contrasted by a nonuniform evidence. With meticulous patient selection and correct assessment of the indications a longer term reduction of pain, a reduced need for analgesics and an improvement in the quality of life can be achieved. The aim of this interdisciplinary position paper is to present the value of radiofrequency denervation in the treatment of chronic pain. The summarized recommendations of the expert group are based on the available evidence and on the clinical experiences of Austrian centers that frequently implement the procedure. The position paper contains recommendations on patient selection and proven indications. We discribe safety aspects, complications, side effects and contraindications.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Neurotomy and Endoscopic Neurotomy of Lumbar Medial Branch for Facetogenic Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness of radiofrequency neurotomy (RN) and endoscopic neurotomy (EN) of lumbar medial branch (MB) for facetogenic chronic low back pain (FCLBP).

METHODS

Forty patients with FCLBP were included and randomly assigned to the control group and the experimental group. The control group (20 cases) underwent X-ray-assisted RN and the experimental group (20 cases) underwent EN of the lumbar MB. The patients' Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score were evaluated and compared preoperatively, and at 3 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively.

RESULTS

First, the RN group demonstrated successful treatment results (P < 0.05) at 3 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. At 2 years, patients reported no significant effectiveness (P > 0.05). Second, the EN group demonstrated more prolonged successful treatment outcomes compared with the RN group. At 2 years, although the efficacy declined further, the VAS and ODI scores showed significant improvements compared with the preoperative data (P < 0.05). Third, there was no difference in VAS and ODI scores between the 2 groups at 3 weeks after surgery (P > 0.05). At 6 months and later, the EN group demonstrated better outcomes (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

For FCLBP, EN and X-ray-assisted RN of lumbar MB are both effective treatments. However, endoscopic lumbar MB neurotomy has the better and longer effectiveness.