J Korean Pain Soc.  2003 Dec;16(2):212-216.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Lesioning of the Saphenous Nerve in Degenerative Osteoarthritis of Knee: A case report

• Lee SJ
• Park SC
• Baek S
• Yoon CS
• Lee JH

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage leading to joint pain and limitation of movement. The joints most commonly involved in OA include the joints of knees, hips, and feet. Primary therapy for OA includes pharmacologic and rehabilitation therapy. Other adjuvant therapies, such as intraarticular injection of drugs and periarticular nerve blocks, are considered when conservative therapy fails. Saphenous nerve block is a simple and effective technique for the treatment of knee pain in OA patients. However, it requires repeated injections because one time treatment only gives the patient temporary relief from pain. Recently, the advent of pulsed radiofrequency (RF) lesioning has been a successful treatment for various pain disorders. We present a patient with OA suffering from knee pain who did not respond to conventional treatment, but in whom the pulsed RF lesioning of the saphenous nerve induced an adequate improvement from pain and from the limitation of movement for more than 5 months.

Keyword

Osteoarthritis; Pulsed radiofrequency; Saphenous nerve

MeSH Terms

Arthralgia
Cartilage, Articular
Foot
Hip
Humans
Injections, Intra-Articular
Joints
Knee
Nerve Block
Osteoarthritis*
Osteoarthritis, Knee*
Rehabilitation