New Concepts in Radiofrequency Ablation Techniques for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal and Spine Pain-Session Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session focused on radiofrequency ablation (RFA) techniques and their applications across various body regions, with presentations from several professionals. Dr. Matt Smuke from Stanford discussed basal vertebral nerve ablation, emphasizing its success in targeting vertebrogenic back pain through specific phenotyping. He explained that outcomes were consistently positive when aligning clinical phenotypes and imaging biomarkers with the treatment. <br /><br />Dr. Zach McCormick covered genicular nerve RFA for knee pain, highlighting variations in outcomes due to differences in the electrodes used. He emphasized the success improvement through advanced protocols with larger lesions or multi-lesion approaches. Dr. McCormick pointed to studies showing the effectiveness of expanded protocols over traditional methods.<br /><br />Dr. Scott Kreiner presented on lumbar facet ablations, focusing on anatomy and technique to optimize outcomes through better alignment with the nerve path to enhance lesion size. This ensures improved accuracy and effectiveness of the RF ablations.<br /><br />Finally, discussions on sacral lateral branch RFA for treating sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain highlighted the non-coverage by Medicare due to the lack of consistent outcomes and varied techniques. Studies demonstrated that bipolar techniques might offer better coverage and efficacy for pain relief compared to monopolar ones.<br /><br />Audience questions covered payer coverage challenges, the potential of high-frequency ultrasound, and concerns about nerve denervation effects on muscle and joint stability. The experts agreed on the necessity for specific research to improve patient outcomes and insurance receptivity. Additionally, long-term effects of such interventions remain an area needing further exploration.

Keywords

radiofrequency ablation

RFA techniques

vertebrogenic back pain

genicular nerve RFA

knee pain

lumbar facet ablations

sacroiliac joint pain

SIJ pain

nerve denervation

pain relief

insurance coverage