Volume 29, Issue 157, March 2025

Efficacy of Radiofrequency ablation of Genicular nerves prior to total knee replacement on postoperative pain: Systematic review

Abdurahman Talal Bahha¹, Nimah Jamee¹ Dhafar², Sarah Abdulfattah Alsufi², Abdulghani Salah Sadaqa², Abdullah Kamel Alhashmi Alamer³, Abed Nabeel Alansari³, Ward Hisham Skaik³

¹Anesthesia and Pain Management Consultant, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
²Anesthesia Resident, King Abdullah Medical City Makkah, Saudi Arabia
³Medical Intern, Ibn Sina National Collage for Medical Studies, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: The most economical method of treating knee osteoarthritis is still total knee replacement. However, a lengthy recovery is frequently linked to the surgery. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how early postoperative pain management and subjective outcomes following total knee replacement were affected by a preoperative radiofrequency ablation intervention. Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed in the conduct of this investigation. Two independent reviewers looked for relevant studies published between January 2019 to August 2024 in electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library). Results: Six publications from January 2019 to August 2024 are included in this evaluation; the total number of patients included in the trials is 265,713. Three of the included studies found that genicular nerve RFA had no therapeutic effect on postoperative opioid consumption, pain, or functional evaluations at any time when compared to control group; one study found some improvement; and two studies found that traditional RFA combined with fluoroscopy produced positive outcomes for both pain and knee function for those who experienced persistent pain following TKR. Conclusion: Most of the analyzed studies found no significant effect of preoperative RFA on postoperative opioid use, analgesic use, or postoperative function. According to two studies, patients who experience chronic pain following TKR significantly improve with conventional RFA and fluoroscopy.

Keywords: Radiofrequency ablation, Genicular nerves, total knee replacement, postoperative pain

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e43ms3534

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i157.e43ms3534

Published: 01 March 2025