Cooled radiofrequency ablation provides extended clinical utility in the management of chronic sacroiliac joint pain: 12-month follow-up results from the observational phase of a randomized, multicenter, comparative-effectiveness crossover study
Authors' conclusion
CRFA in patients with SIJ pain provided clinically significant and sustained improvements for 12 months following a single CRFA treatment, regardless of previous SMM treatment.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with injection-confirmed sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain who responded to prognostic lateral branch blocks
- Participants
- 210 patients
- Comparison
- Cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) vs standard medical management (SMM), with crossover to CRFA allowed at 3 months
- Primary endpoint
- Mean change in average LBP score on 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
Methodological detailsmulticenter, comparative-effectiveness, crossover, 12-month observational phase
- Multicenter
- Comparative-effectiveness
- Crossover
- 12-month observational phase
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Mean NRS pain score (baseline → 12 months) · 12 months
| Group | Value | Baseline |
|---|---|---|
| CRFA | mean 3.5 (SD 2.6) | 6.4±1.4 |
| XO | mean 3.4 (SD 2.5) | 6.1±1.5 |
Value
CRFAmean 3.5 (SD 2.6)
XOmean 3.4 (SD 2.5)
Baseline
CRFA6.4±1.4
XO6.1±1.5
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | CRFA | XO |
|---|---|---|
| ≥2-point or 30% decrease in average LBP from baseline · 12 months | 57.4% | 55.6% |
| QoL, EuroQoL-5D-5L mean change · 12 months | +0.22 (SD 0.27) | +0.21 (SD 0.33) |
| Oswestry Disability Index improvement from baseline · 12 months | 12.4% (SD 14.7) | 13.7% (SD 17.1) |
- ≥2-point or 30% decrease in average low back pain (LBP) from baseline: CRFA 35/61; XO 35/63
Safety
- No serious adverse events related to the CRFA procedure reported
Original publication
Cooled radiofrequency ablation provides extended clinical utility in the management of chronic sacroiliac joint pain: 12-month follow-up results from the observational phase of a randomized, multicenter, comparative-effectiveness crossover study. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published 15 March 2025. doi:10.
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