Brain and spine surgery, Norwest Private Hospital, Suite G16/9 Norbrik Dr, Bella Vista, NSW, 2153, Australia.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2023 Apr 4;24(1):261. doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-06344-7.
Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction is a common source of back pain. Recent evidence from different parts of the world suggest that cooled radiofrequency ablation of sacral nerves supplying the SI joints has superior pain alleviating properties than currently available treatment options for SI joint dysfunction.
After obtaining institutional review board approval, the medical records of 81 patients who underwent cooled radiofrequency ablation in a single institution and by a single surgeon were analyzed retrospectively. The recurrence of pain, progression to fusion and functional outcomes were noted. The patients were operated on between June 2020 and December 2021, they include 59 females and 22 males, the average age was 55.4 ± 17.3. Follow up was at least 6 months postoperative.
22 of the patients had previously underwent lumbar fusions. Follow up period ranged from 6 to 18 months. After radiofrequency ablation, 7 patients progressed to fusions, and 6 patients had to have the procedure done again to relieve their pain. Student t-test was used to compare between preoperative and postoperative values of NPRS (numerical pain rating score) and ODI (Oswestry disability index). It showed significance with P-value < 0.001 in both.
Sacroiliac joint radiofrequency ablation is a good option in the treatment of SI joint pain showing good results in the short term follow up period. It is a simple procedure that can be done in less than 30 min and is capable of providing significant pain relief for patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
骶髂（SI）关节功能障碍是背部疼痛的常见原因。来自世界不同地区的最新证据表明，冷却射频消融供应 SI 关节的骶神经比目前用于治疗 SI 关节功能障碍的治疗方法具有更好的缓解疼痛的特性。
在获得机构审查委员会批准后，回顾性分析了在一家机构由一位外科医生进行的冷却射频消融治疗的 81 名患者的病历。记录疼痛复发、进展为融合以及功能结果。患者于 2020 年 6 月至 2021 年 12 月间接受手术，包括 59 名女性和 22 名男性，平均年龄为 55.4±17.3 岁。随访时间至少为术后 6 个月。
22 名患者曾接受过腰椎融合术。随访时间为 6 至 18 个月。射频消融后，7 名患者进展为融合，6 名患者需要再次进行该手术以缓解疼痛。采用 Student t 检验比较术前和术后 NPRS（数字疼痛评分）和 ODI（Oswestry 残疾指数）的值。结果显示，两种评分的 P 值均小于 0.001，差异具有统计学意义。
骶髂关节射频消融是治疗 SI 关节疼痛的一种较好选择，在短期随访中显示出良好的效果。这是一种简单的手术，可在 30 分钟内完成，能够为骶髂关节功能障碍患者提供显著的疼痛缓解。
