• Annie Philip, Mark Williams, Jenae Davis, Avinash Beeram, Changyong Feng, Joseph Poli, Alexis Vangellow, and Jennifer Gewandter.
• Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
• Pain Manag. 2021 Nov 1; 11 (6): 669-677.

AbstractAim: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of genicular nerves can treat refractory chronic knee pain. This study evaluated association between patient and procedural characteristics and pain improvement after genicular nerve RFA. Materials & methods: A retrospective chart review. Data were extracted from patients who underwent thermal or cooled RFA of the knee. Results: A total of 124 patients were included. 81% of patients reported ≥75% pain relief after diagnostic nerve blocks. 35% reported ≥50% pain reduction from the RFA. Predictors of improved pain outcomes included higher baseline pain, no depression and thermal (vs cooled) RFA. Conclusion: Identifying patients who may benefit the most from genicular RFA is still not clear. Pain reduction differences between patients with and without depression and RFA type deserves further exploration.

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