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Truong K, Meier K, Ahrens LC, Wichmann TO, Zaer H, Tiroke LH, Arvin S, Bazys M, Duel P, Gudmundsdottir G, Carlsen JG, Nikolajsen L, van Tulder M, Sørensen JCH, Rasmussen MM. Cryoneurolysis versus radiofrequency ablation outcome on pain experience in chronic low back pain (COPE): a single-blinded randomised controlled trial. RMD Open 2024; 10:e004196. [PMID: 38724261 PMCID: PMC11086270 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2024-004196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A comparison of cryoneurolysis or radio frequency (RF) with placebo in patients with facetogenic chronic low back pain (LBP) for patient global impression of change (PGIC), pain intensity, function and quality of life, with 1-year follow-up. DESIGN Single-centre, single-blinded placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial. SETTING Single-centre study. PARTICIPANTS Inclusion from March 2020 to September 2022: consenting adults over 18 years of age, LBP>3 months, average Numeric Rating Scale LBP≥4 average last 14 days and a positive response to a diagnostic medial branch block (>50% pain reduction after 60 min). INTERVENTIONS 120 patients were block randomised 1:1:1 to cryoneurolysis, RF or placebo of the medial branch nerves. Physical therapy was added after 4 weeks for all groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome was PGIC 4 weeks after the intervention. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS), quality of life (Short Form 36, EQ-5D-5L), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), depression (Major Depression Inventory) and catastrophising (Pain Catastrophising Scale). Outcomes were measured at 4 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in PGIC at 4 weeks between cryoneurolysis and placebo (risk ratio (RR) 2; 95% CI 0.75 to 5.33, p=0.17) and RF and placebo (RR 1.6; 95% CI 0.57 to 4.49, p=0.37), except PGIC for cryoneurolysis at 6-month follow-up (RR 5.1; 95% CI 1.20 to 22.03, p=0.03). No statistically significant differences were found in secondary follow-up endpoints. CONCLUSIONS Denervation of the medial branch nerve by either cryoneurolysis or RF compared with placebo did not demonstrate significant improvement in PGIC, pain intensity, function and quality of life in patients with facetogenic chronic LBP at short-term or long-term follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04786145.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla Truong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kaare Meier
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Anesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lasse Cramer Ahrens
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thea Overgaard Wichmann
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hamed Zaer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lasse Hubertus Tiroke
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Simon Arvin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mindaugas Bazys
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Duel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | - Lone Nikolajsen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Anesthesiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Maurits van Tulder
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens Christian Hedemann Sørensen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Mylius Rasmussen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE) and CENSE-spine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Said ET, Marsh-Armstrong BP, Fischer SJ, Suresh PJ, Swisher MW, Trescot AM, Prologo JD, Abdullah B, Ilfeld BM. Relative Effects of Various Factors on Ice Ball Formation and Ablation Zone Size During Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Cryoneurolysis: A Laboratory Investigation to Inform Clinical Practice and Future Research. Pain Ther 2023; 12:771-783. [PMID: 37000371 PMCID: PMC10199980 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-023-00497-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoneurolysis provides analgesia using cold temperatures to reversibly ablate peripheral nerves. Cryoneurolysis probes pass a gas through a small internal annulus, rapidly lowering the pressure and temperature, forming an ice ball to envelope the target nerve. Analgesia is compromised if a nerve is inadequately frozen, and laboratory studies suggest that pain may be paradoxically induced with a magnitude and duration in proportion with the incomplete ablation. We therefore investigated the relative effects of various factors that may contribute to the size of the ice ball and the effective cryoneurolysis zone. METHODS A cryoprobe was inserted into a piece of meat, a gas was passed through for 2 min, and the resulting ice ball width (cross-section) and length (axis parallel to the probe) were measured using ultrasound, with the temperature evaluated in nine concentric locations concurrently. RESULTS The factor with the greatest influence on ice ball size was probe gauge: in all probe types, a change from 18 to 14 increased ice ball width, length, and volume by up to 70%, 113%, and 512% respectively, with minimum internal temperature decreasing as much as from -5 to -32 °C. In contrast, alternating the type of meat (chicken, beef, pork) and the shape of the probe tip (straight, coudé) affected ice ball dimensions to a negligible degree. The ice ball dimensions and the zone of adequate temperature drop were not always correlated, and, even within a visualized ice ball, the temperature was often inadequate to induce Wallerian degeneration. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous probe design can significantly influence the effective cryoneurolysis zone; visualizing a nerve fully encompassed in an ice ball does not guarantee adequate treatment to induce the desired Wallerian degeneration because ice forms at temperatures between 0 and -20 °C, whereas only temperatures below -20 °C induce Wallerian degeneration. The correlation between temperatures in isolated pieces of meat and perfused human tissue remains unknown, and further research to evaluate these findings in situ appears highly warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Engy T Said
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0898, USA
| | | | - Seth J Fischer
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0898, USA
| | - Preetham J Suresh
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0898, USA
| | - Matthew W Swisher
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0898, USA
- Outcomes Research Consortium, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Baharin Abdullah
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0898, USA
| | - Brian M Ilfeld
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0898, USA.
- Outcomes Research Consortium, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Ilfeld BM, Smith CR, Turan A, Mariano ER, Miller ME, Fisher RL, Trescot AM, Cohen SP, Eisenach JC, Sessler DI, Prologo JD, Mascha EJ, Liu L, Gabriel RA. Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Cryoneurolysis to Treat Chronic Postamputation Phantom Limb Pain: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Anesthesiology 2023; 138:82-97. [PMID: 36512721 PMCID: PMC10374196 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000004429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postamputation phantom pain is notoriously persistent with few validated treatments. Cryoneurolysis involves the application of low temperatures to reversibly ablate peripheral nerves. The authors tested the hypothesis that a single cryoneurolysis treatment would decrease phantom pain 4 months later. METHODS The authors enrolled patients with a lower-limb amputation and established phantom pain. Each received a single-injection femoral and sciatic nerve block with lidocaine and was subsequently randomized to receive either ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoneurolysis or sham treatment at these same locations. The primary outcome was the change in average phantom pain intensity between baseline and 4 months as measured with a numeric rating scale (0 to 10), after which an optional crossover treatment was offered. Investigators, participants, and clinical staff were masked to treatment group assignment with the exception of the treating physician performing the cryoneurolysis, who had no subsequent participant interaction. RESULTS Pretreatment phantom pain scores were similar in both groups, with a median [quartiles] of 5.0 [4.0, 6.0] for active treatment and 5.0 [4.0, 7.0] for sham. After 4 months, pain intensity decreased by 0.5 [-0.5, 3.0] in patients given cryoneurolysis (n = 71) versus 0 [0, 3] in patients given sham (n = 73), with an estimated difference (95% CI) of -0.1 (-1.0 to 0.7), P = 0.759. Following their statistical gatekeeping protocol, the authors did not make inferences or draw conclusions on secondary endpoints. One serious adverse event occurred after a protocol deviation in which a femoral nerve cryolesion was induced just below the inguinal ligament-instead of the sensory-only saphenous nerve-which resulted in quadriceps weakness, and possibly a fall and clavicle fracture. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous cryoneurolysis did not decrease chronic lower extremity phantom limb pain 4 months after treatment. However, these results were based upon the authors' specific study protocol, and since the optimal cryoneurolysis treatment parameters such as freeze duration and anatomic treatment location remain unknown, further research is warranted. EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Ilfeld
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California; Outcomes Research Consortium
| | | | - Alparslan Turan
- Departments of General Anesthesia and Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Outcomes Research Consortium
| | - Edward R. Mariano
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, California
| | - Matthew E. Miller
- Department of Anesthesiology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rick L. Fisher
- Department of Anesthesiology, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Andrea M. Trescot
- Florida Pain Relief Group, Florida Pain Relief Group, Tampa, Florida
| | - Steven P. Cohen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - James C. Eisenach
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Daniel I. Sessler
- Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Outcomes Research Consortium
| | | | - Edward J. Mascha
- Departments of Quantitative Health Sciences and Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Outcomes Research Consortium
| | - Liu Liu
- Departments of Quantitative Health Sciences and Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Outcomes Research Consortium
| | - Rodney A. Gabriel
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California; Outcomes Research Consortium
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Du R, Xu G, Bai X, Li Z. Facet Joint Syndrome: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. J Pain Res 2022; 15:3689-3710. [PMID: 36474960 PMCID: PMC9719706 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s389602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Facet joint osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent form of facet joint syndrome. Medical history, referred pain patterns, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging studies (standard radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography) may suggest but not confirm lumbar facet joint (LFJ) syndrome as a source of low back pain (LBP). However, the diagnosis and treatment of facet joint syndrome is still controversial and needs further study. It is widely acknowledged that block with local anesthetic is perhaps the most effective method to establish a diagnosis of pain from LFJ. Particularly, there are different rates of success among different populations selected for diagnostic block with various positive criteria. Currently, in addition to conservative treatments for pain such as painkillers, functional exercises, and massage, there are many other methods, including block, denervation of the nerves that innervate the joints by radiofrequency, freezing or endoscopy, and injections. Due to the limited duration of pain relief from neurolysis of medial branch, many scholars have recently turned their targets to dorsal roots and LFJ capsules. Therefore, we reviewed the latest research progress of facet joint syndrome from diagnosis to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihuan Du
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gang Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism for Repair and Remodeling of Orthopedic Diseases, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xujue Bai
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhonghai Li
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism for Repair and Remodeling of Orthopedic Diseases, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
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Cryoneurolysis and Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation to Treat Acute Pain. Anesthesiology 2020; 133:1127-1149. [PMID: 32898231 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000003532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Two regional analgesic modalities currently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hold promise to provide postoperative analgesia free of many of the limitations of both opioids and local anesthetic-based techniques. Cryoneurolysis uses exceptionally low temperature to reversibly ablate a peripheral nerve, resulting in temporary analgesia. Where applicable, it offers a unique option given its extended duration of action measured in weeks to months after a single application. Percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation involves inserting an insulated lead through a needle to lie adjacent to a peripheral nerve. Analgesia is produced by introducing electrical current with an external pulse generator. It is a unique regional analgesic in that it does not induce sensory, motor, or proprioception deficits and is cleared for up to 60 days of use. However, both modalities have limited validation when applied to acute pain, and randomized, controlled trials are required to define both benefits and risks.
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