RFA: Use of radiofrequency energy to disrupt function of medial branch nerve to stop transmission of pain signal from injured facet joint
Facet joints: Paired structures at back of each vertebra that form working motion unit to allow movement between 2 vertebrae
PREPROCEDURE
Indications
Contraindications
Getting Started
PROCEDURE
Procedure Steps
POST PROCEDURE
Expected Outcome
Things To Do
Things To Avoid
OUTCOMES
Complications
Selected References
McCormick ZL et al: Randomized prospective trial of cooled versus traditional radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch nerves for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 44(3):389-97, 2019
Wray JK et al: Radiofrequency ablation 2019
Arias Garau J: Radiofrequency denervation of the cervical and lumbar spine. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 29(1):139-54, 2018
Jacobson RE et al: Bipolar radiofrequency facet ablation of the lumbar facet capsule: an adjunct to conventional radiofrequency ablation for pain management. Cureus. 9(9):e1635, 2017
Vanneste T et al: Pulsed radiofrequency in chronic pain. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 30(5):577-82, 2017
Amrhein TJ et al: Technique for CT fluoroscopy-guided lumbar medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 207(3):631-4, 2016
Leon JF et al: Radiofrequency neurolysis for lumbar pain using a variation of the original technique. Pain Physician. 19(3):155-61, 2016
Loh JT et al: Efficacy of needle-placement technique in radiofrequency ablation for treatment of lumbar facet arthropathy. J Pain Res. 8:687-94, 2015
Mukai A et al: Interventional procedures for cervical pain. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 22(3):539-49, x, 2011
van Kleef M et al: Randomized trial of radiofrequency lumbar facet denervation for chronic low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 24(18):1937-42, 1999
LaBarge, et al. Specialty Imaging: Pain Management: Essentials of Image-Guided Procedures. Philadelphia: Amirsys, 2011
Bogduk N: Complications of spinal diagnostic and treatment procedures. Pain Med. 9: pp. S12-31, 2008
Related Anatomy
Loading...
Related Differential Diagnoses
Loading...
References
Tables
Tables
KEY FACTS
Terminology
Preprocedure
Procedure
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
Synonyms
RFA
Radiofrequency lesioning
Radiofrequency denervation
Radiofrequency neurotomy
Radiofrequency thermocoagulation
Radiofrequency rhizotomy
Facet joints
Zygapophyseal joints
Z-joints
Apophyseal joints
Definitions
RFA: Use of radiofrequency energy to disrupt function of medial branch nerve to stop transmission of pain signal from injured facet joint
Facet joints: Paired structures at back of each vertebra that form working motion unit to allow movement between 2 vertebrae
PREPROCEDURE
Indications
Contraindications
Getting Started
PROCEDURE
Procedure Steps
POST PROCEDURE
Expected Outcome
Things To Do
Things To Avoid
OUTCOMES
Complications
Selected References
McCormick ZL et al: Randomized prospective trial of cooled versus traditional radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch nerves for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 44(3):389-97, 2019
Wray JK et al: Radiofrequency ablation 2019
Arias Garau J: Radiofrequency denervation of the cervical and lumbar spine. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 29(1):139-54, 2018
Jacobson RE et al: Bipolar radiofrequency facet ablation of the lumbar facet capsule: an adjunct to conventional radiofrequency ablation for pain management. Cureus. 9(9):e1635, 2017
Vanneste T et al: Pulsed radiofrequency in chronic pain. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 30(5):577-82, 2017
Amrhein TJ et al: Technique for CT fluoroscopy-guided lumbar medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 207(3):631-4, 2016
Leon JF et al: Radiofrequency neurolysis for lumbar pain using a variation of the original technique. Pain Physician. 19(3):155-61, 2016
Loh JT et al: Efficacy of needle-placement technique in radiofrequency ablation for treatment of lumbar facet arthropathy. J Pain Res. 8:687-94, 2015
Mukai A et al: Interventional procedures for cervical pain. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 22(3):539-49, x, 2011
van Kleef M et al: Randomized trial of radiofrequency lumbar facet denervation for chronic low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 24(18):1937-42, 1999
LaBarge, et al. Specialty Imaging: Pain Management: Essentials of Image-Guided Procedures. Philadelphia: Amirsys, 2011
Bogduk N: Complications of spinal diagnostic and treatment procedures. Pain Med. 9: pp. S12-31, 2008
STATdx includes over 200,000 searchable images, including x-ray, CT, MR, and ultrasound images. To access all images, please log in or subscribe.