J Korean Med Sci.  2007 Apr;22(2):326-329. 10.3346/jkms.2007.22.2.326.

Clinical Efficacy of Radiofrequency Cervical Zygapophyseal Neurotomy in Patients with Chronic Cervicogenic Headache

• Lee JB
• Park JY
• Park J
• Lim DJ
• Kim SD
• Chung HS

• KMID: 1713195
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2007.22.2.326

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess the clinical efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) cervical zygapophyseal joint neurotomy in patients with cervicogenic headache. A total of thirty consecutive patients suffering from chronic cervicogenic headaches for longer than 6 months and showing a pain relief by greater than 50% from diagnostic/prognostic blocks were included in the study. These patients were treated with RF neurotomy of the cervical zygapophyseal joints and were subsequently assessed at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, and at 12 months following the treatment. The results of this study showed that RF neurotomy of the cervical zygapophyseal joints significantly reduced the headache severity in 22 patients (73.3%) at 12 months after the treatment. In conclusion, RF cervical zygapophyseal joint neurotomy has shown to provide substantial pain relief in patients with chronic cervicogenic headache when carefully selected.

Keyword

Cervicogenic Headache; Zygapophyseal Joint; Radiofrequency Neurotomy

MeSH Terms

Zygapophyseal Joint/*innervation/*surgery
Treatment Outcome
Spinal Nerves/*surgery
Post-Traumatic Headache/diagnosis/*surgery
Pain Measurement
Middle Aged
Male
Humans
Female
Denervation/*methods
Catheter Ablation/*methods

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The target point and C3-C4 lesioning. A point of intersection of 2 lines diagonally drawn from supero-anterior and superoposterior to infero-posterior and infero-anterior articular pillar.

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