This study aims to investigate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation and alcoholic neurolysis of genicular nerve on alleviating pain and improving the function of advanced knee osteoarthritis patients.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and disability. Patients with moderate to severe knee OA often suffer from excruciating pain with chronic inflammation and reduced range of motion. Conventional treatment of knee OA includes nonpharmacologic therapies and pharmacologic therapies. Analgesics, low-potency opioids, narcotic analgesics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in pharmacologic therapies. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been used for the treatment of chronic pain that has been unresponsive to conservative therapies. It acts by disrupting the transmission of pain signals using thermal lesion production to interrupt nociceptive signals. The nerve block is conventionally performed by local anesthesia alone or in combination with corticosteroid. Nerve ablation causes iatrogenic neural degeneration aiming only for sensory or sympathetic denervation without motor deficits. The nerve ablation methods currently available are performed by either thermal ablation using RFA or chemical ablation using alcohol or phenol.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Patients will receive radiofrequency.
Patients will receive ultrasound-guided injection of each of the three genicular nerves with 0.5-0.75 ml of a solution containing 30% alcohol in 0.25% bupivacaine.
Patients will receive ultrasound-guided injection of each of the three genicular nerves with 0.5-0.75 ml of a solution containing 50% alcohol in 0.25% bupivacaine.
Tanta University
Tanta, El-Gharbia, Egypt
Degree of knee pain
The degree of knee pain will be assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Each patient will obtain a score between 0 and 10 (Zero means no pain, and 10 means the worst pain). VAS will be assessed preoperative and postoperative 1, and 6 months
Time frame: 6 months postoperative
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC): range from 0 to 96 (0 represents the best health status and 96 the worst possible status). The higher the score, the poorer the function. It will be assessed preoperative and postoperative 1, and 6 months.
Time frame: 6 months postoperative
Patient satisfaction
Degree of patient satisfaction will be assessed on a 5-point Likert scale Patient satisfaction (1, extremely dissatisfied; 2, unsatisfied; 3, neutral; 4, satisfied ; 5, extremely satisfied).
Time frame: 6 months postoperative
Incidence of adverse events
Incidence of adverse events such as bleeding, neurological damage, infection, abnormal proprioception, numbness, paresthesia, and motor weakness will be recorded.
Time frame: 6 months postoperative
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Patients will receive ultrasound-guided injection of each of the three genicular nerves with 0.5-0.75 ml of a solution containing 70% alcohol in 0.25% bupivacaine.