Efficacy of radiofrequency in lumbar facet joint pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials.
Radiol Med
; 129(5): 794-806, 2024 May.
Article
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| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38512629
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Lumbar facet joint pain (LFJP) is one of the main causes of chronic low back pain (LBP) and can be treated using radiofrequency (RF) sensory denervation. The aim of this work is to analyze the efficacy of RF in LFJP through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with placebo control. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
A systematic search was conducted in the Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science databases, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The variables of interest were pain, functional status, quality of life (QoL), and global perceived effect (GPE) measured at different time intervals short (< 3 months), medium (> 3 and < 12 months), and long term (> 12 months).RESULTS:
Eight RCTs with placebo control were included. RF showed significant benefits over placebo in pain relief in the short (MD - 1.01; 95% CI - 1.98 to -0.04; p = 0.04), medium (MD - 1.42; 95% CI - 2.41 to - 0.43; p = 0.005), and long term (MD - 1.12; 95% CI - 1.57 to - 0.68; p < 0.001), as well as improvement in functional disability in the short (SMD - 0.94; 95% CI - 1.73 to - 0.14; p = 0.02) and long term (SMD - 0.74; 95% CI - 1.09 to - 0.39; p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed in QoL or quantitative GPE, but benefits for RF were observed in dichotomous GPE in the medium (OR 0.19; 95% CI 0.07-0.52; p = 0.001) and long term (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.06-0.78; p = 0.02). Subgroup analyses showed more benefits for RF in LBP < 1 year in the short term and in RCTs that did not require performing an MRI for patient selection.CONCLUSIONS:
RF demonstrated significant improvement in pain and functionality, but the benefits in terms of QoL and GPE are inconclusive. Future clinical trials should investigate the long-term effects of RF, its impact on quality of life, and define appropriate criteria for patient selection.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
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Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto
/
Dolor de la Región Lumbar
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Articulación Cigapofisaria
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Radiol Med
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
España