Background: Discogenic pain is recognized as the most important and most common cause of
low back pain (LBP). Intradiscal pulsed radiofrequency (ID-PRF) is used for the treatment of chronic
discogenic pain.
Objectives: We investigated the effects of the duration of percutaneous monopolar ID-PRF
application on chronic discogenic LBP.
Study Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Neurosurgery at Wooridul Spine
Hospital.
Methods: Forty-five patients were included in this retrospective study. The patients were assigned
into 2 groups according to the duration of the PRF procedure they underwent (7-minute group
= 17 patients vs. 15-minute group = 28 patients). The main outcome measures tested were pain
score, as determined by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI),
at baseline, at 2-week, and 6-month follow-up visits. Success was defined as a reduction in NRS11 of 50% or more or an ODI reduction of 40% or more.
Results: The mean posttreatment pain scores at 2 weeks and 6 months were significantly lower
(P < 0.05) in both groups, but the differences between the groups were not significant. ODI scores
were also significantly lower compared with the baseline, but the differences between the groups
were not significant. At the 6-month follow-up, 12 patients (70.6%) in the 7-minute group and
20 patients (71.4%) in the 15-minute group reported more than 50% reduction in the pain score
(P = 0.16), and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the number of patients
with more than 40% reduction in ODI score (P = 0.23).
Limitations: This study was performed with a small sample size and there was no control
group. Additional well-designed and well-controlled studies that include parameters such as the
stimulation duration, mode, and intensity of PRF are needed to fully assess the efficiency of ID-PRF.
Conclusions: ID-PRF was shown to be effective for the treatment of discogenic LBP regardless of
duration of ID-PRF application (7 vs. 15 minutes).
Key words: Discogenic pain, pulsed, radio frequency, duration, pain, reduction
Intradiscal Combination of Pulsed Radiofrequency and Gelified Ethanol for the Treatment of Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain