Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of radiofrequency denervation (RD) of lumbosacral anatomical targets for the management of chronic back pain.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).Methods A database search (Medline, Medline in Process, Embase, CINHAL...

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Main Authors: Michael Lee, Mary Elizabeth Chappell, Raj Lakshman, Patrick Trotter, Mark Abrahams
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-07-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e035540.full
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author Michael Lee
Mary Elizabeth Chappell
Raj Lakshman
Patrick Trotter
Mark Abrahams
author_facet Michael Lee
Mary Elizabeth Chappell
Raj Lakshman
Patrick Trotter
Mark Abrahams
author_sort Michael Lee
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To assess the effectiveness of radiofrequency denervation (RD) of lumbosacral anatomical targets for the management of chronic back pain.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).Methods A database search (Medline, Medline in Process, Embase, CINHAL and the Cochrane library) was conducted from January 2014 to April 2019 for placebo or no-treatment controlled trials of RD for the management of chronic back pain. Included trials were quality assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool and the quality of outcomes assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. Meta-analysis was conducted to calculate mean difference (MD) in post-treatment Pain Score.Results Nineteen RCTs were included in the review. There appears to be short-term pain relief (1–3 months) provided by RD of the sacroiliac joint (five trials, MD −1.53, CI −2.62 to 0.45) and intervertebral discs (four trials, MD −0.98, CI −1.84 to 0.12), but the placebo effect is large and additional intervention effect size is small (<1 on an 11 point (0–10) Pain Scale). Longer-term effectiveness (>6 months) is uncertain.Conclusions RD of selected lumbosacral targets appears to have a small, short-term, positive effect for the management of patients with chronic back pain. However, the quality of evidence for the majority of outcomes is low or very low quality and there is still a degree of uncertainty, particularly around the duration of effect.
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spelling doaj-art-7c1caa99795846a489d639db9b2f6b9d2024-12-04T14:45:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-07-0110710.1136/bmjopen-2019-035540Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysisMichael Lee0Mary Elizabeth Chappell1Raj Lakshman2Patrick Trotter3Mark Abrahams4Harbour BioMed, Shanghai, ChinaPublic Health Directorate, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge, UKPublic Health Directorate, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge, UKDepartment of Pain Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UKDepartment of Pain Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UKObjectives To assess the effectiveness of radiofrequency denervation (RD) of lumbosacral anatomical targets for the management of chronic back pain.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).Methods A database search (Medline, Medline in Process, Embase, CINHAL and the Cochrane library) was conducted from January 2014 to April 2019 for placebo or no-treatment controlled trials of RD for the management of chronic back pain. Included trials were quality assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool and the quality of outcomes assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. Meta-analysis was conducted to calculate mean difference (MD) in post-treatment Pain Score.Results Nineteen RCTs were included in the review. There appears to be short-term pain relief (1–3 months) provided by RD of the sacroiliac joint (five trials, MD −1.53, CI −2.62 to 0.45) and intervertebral discs (four trials, MD −0.98, CI −1.84 to 0.12), but the placebo effect is large and additional intervention effect size is small (<1 on an 11 point (0–10) Pain Scale). Longer-term effectiveness (>6 months) is uncertain.Conclusions RD of selected lumbosacral targets appears to have a small, short-term, positive effect for the management of patients with chronic back pain. However, the quality of evidence for the majority of outcomes is low or very low quality and there is still a degree of uncertainty, particularly around the duration of effect.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e035540.full
spellingShingle Michael Lee
Mary Elizabeth Chappell
Raj Lakshman
Patrick Trotter
Mark Abrahams
Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BMJ Open
title Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort radiofrequency denervation for chronic back pain a systematic review and meta analysis
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e035540.full
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AT rajlakshman radiofrequencydenervationforchronicbackpainasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis
AT patricktrotter radiofrequencydenervationforchronicbackpainasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis
AT markabrahams radiofrequencydenervationforchronicbackpainasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis