Photo Credit: Pepermpron
The following is a summary of “Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Knee Joint Pain Using a V-Shaped Active Tip Needle: A Single-Center Retrospective Observational Study,” published in the March 2025 issue of Journal of Pain Research by Bianco et al.
Despite total knee arthroplasty (TKA) being the standard for advanced osteoarthritis (OA)-related chronic knee pain, a substantial portion of patients experience persistent pain, and while genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation (GNRFA) offers an alternative, its efficacy is potentially limited by anatomical variations.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate whether a novel V-shaped active tip needle designed to create larger lesions had improved outcomes.
They analyzed 50 individuals with symptomatic knee OA or chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) who achieved ≥50% pain reduction after diagnostic genicular nerve blocks. Between September 2020 and January 2022, individuals underwent GNRFA using a V-shaped active tip needle. Pain and function were estimated at baseline and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 9-months post-procedure by the visual analogue scale (VAS) at rest and movement, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4), and EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D).
The results showed that by 6 months, 64% achieved ≥50% reduction in VAS pain scores, which remained at 9 months (P < 0.0001). Median WOMAC scores improved from 62.0 at baseline to 40.0 at 6 months (P < 0.0001). The DN4 scores decreased from a median of 4.0 at baseline to 2.0 at 6 months and 1.0 at 9 months (P < 0.001). The EQ-5D scores indicated significant QoL improvements (P < 0.01). Pain intensity at rest and movement remained reduced at 9 months (P < 0.0001).
Investigators concluded that GNRFA with a V-shaped active tip needle demonstrated promising, sustained pain relief and functional improvement for chronic knee pain.
