Ultrasound-Guided Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation of the Genicular Nerves: A Technique Paper

<b>Aim:</b> Cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) has demonstrated efficacy in the management of knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. A typical procedure involves fluoroscopic placement of internally cooled radiofrequency probes to ensure the probes are located near target genicular nerves. <b>Patients & methods:</b> A new technique was developed to perform CRFA using ultrasound (US) guidance. Patient outcomes were reported using a telephone survey. <b>Results:</b> Ablation procedures were successfully performed using US guidance. A total of 51 patients were retrospectively identified for telephone screening. A total of 22 patients completed the telephone questionnaire. There were no safety concerns identified and the majority of patients reported satisfactory outcomes. <b>Conclusion:</b> Patient outcomes demonstrate that US-guided CRFA procedures provide pain relief and functional improvement. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy of US-guided CRFA to fluoroscopy-guided CRFA procedures.