Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment of Lumbar Radiculopathy Patients

, Young Moon Yoon; , Seong Rok Han; , Seung Jun Lee; , Chan Young Choi; , Moon Jun Sohn; , Chae Heuck Lee

Clinical Article

Journal of Korean Society of Geriatric Neurosurgery 2014;10(1):13-17.
Published online June 30, 2014.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment of Lumbar Radiculopathy Patients

Young Moon Yoon , Seong Rok Han , Seung Jun Lee , Chan Young Choi , Moon Jun Sohn , Chae Heuck Lee

Department of Neurosurgery, Inje University School of Medicine, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, Korea

노인 요추부 신경근통 환자들의 박동성 고주파 치료 - 임상 분석 -

윤영문·한성록·이승준·최찬영·손문준·이채혁

인제대학교 의과대학 일산백병원 신경외과학교실

Abstract

Objective
Lumbar radicular pain is a frequent and often debilitating event especially in elderly patients. The goal of this study was to establish the benefits and prognostic factors of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment on the lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) for lumbar radicular pain in elderly patients. Methods: A retrospective study that the results of PRF treatment of the lumbar DRG in 17 patients with lumbar radicular pain was carried out. Diagnostic block of lumbar DRG were performed before PRF. PRF was applied for 2 minutes at a setting of 2×20ms/s and 45 V by two times on the same target of lumbar DRG. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was evaluated 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months and compared with pretreatment value. A successful outcome was defined that VAS grade at 6 months was improved more than 50%. Results: The mean age was 73 years. After six months follow-up, mean VAS decreased from 6.6 to 3.0 and the success rate was 64.7%(11/17). PRF induced complications were not observed. Between success and failure group, we do not find any successful outcome prognostic factor. Interestingly, single PRF lesion patients are better outcome in pain relief than multiple ones.
Conclusion
PRF on lumbar DRG for lumbar radicular pain in elderly patients is effective and safe treatment option for lumbar radicular pain.

Key Words: Dorsal root ganglionㆍElderlyㆍLumbar radicular painㆍPulsed radiofrequency