The Long-Term Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation With and Without Steroid Injection

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been proven to be an effective option for treating chronic low back pain. In addition to RFA as a treatment modality, the administration of concomitantly to minimize the effect of hyperalgesia is common practice. However, there is insufficient evidence about the long-term outcomes of their use.

Methods: This was a retrospective study that examined 239 patients who received spine, knee joint, and sacroiliac joint RFA between June 2014 and June 2018. Pre- and post-procedure pain scores, percent improvements, and duration of relief were included in our review.

Subjects: This study included 239 patients of which 191 patients received steroids with their RFA.

Results: These 191 patients experienced an average improvement of 48.48% relief for an average of 137.52 days. Forty-eight patients did not receive steroids with RFA and had an average improvement of 46.36% for an average of 126.10 days. The statistical analysis revealed there was no significant difference between the two groups for percent improvement (p = 0.71) and duration of relief (p = 0.67).

Conclusions: Patients who received steroids with RFA compared to RFA alone did not differ significantly in percent improvement in pain and duration of relief.