Analysis of 12-Month Outcomes of Genicular Nerve Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation (cRFA) for Knee Osteoarthritis: Is There a Predictor of Outcomes?

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

10:39 AM – 10:48 AM CT

Location: Music City Center, 207 AB

Presenting Author(s)

Neil K. Jain, DO (he/him/his)

Integrated Interventional Radiology Resident
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

Aazrin Mir, MS (she/her/hers)

Medical Student
Georgetown University School of Medicine, United States
TS

Thomas Stirrat, BS, BA

Medical Student
Georgetown University School of Medicine, United States
Keith M. Horton, MD, FSIR (he/him/his)

Professor of Clinical Radiology
MedStar Washington Hospital Center/ Georgetown University School of Medicine , United States
GS

Gajan Sivananthan, MD

Assistant Professor of Radiology
MedStar Washington Hospital Center, United States
AK

Arshad Khan, MD

Attending
MedStar Washington Hospital Center, United States
Nora Tabori, MD (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor
MedStar Washington Hospital Center, United States
John B. Smirniotopoulos, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Radiology
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, United States

Purpose: Genicular nerve cooled radiofrequency ablation (cRFA) is a safe and effective treatment option for knee pain related to osteoarthritis. This study aims to assess the clinical and demographic factors that may affect outcomes for patients at 12-months using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scale.

Materials and Methods: This is a single-center, prospectively collected, retrospective analysis of patients who underwent cRFA between March 2022 and August 2023. A multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether clinical and demographic variables, including age, gender, BMI, history of fibromyalgia, and prior total knee arthroplasty (TKA), were associated with changes in VAS and WOMAC pain scores at the twelve-month follow-up.

Results: 51 patients underwent 60 genicular nerve RFA (12 male, 39 female). The average age was 63.0 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 36.6. Mean baseline VAS was 8.5, mean post-RFA VAS was 5.7, mean baseline WOMAC was 63.0, and mean post-RFA WOMAC was 52.0. There was an overall statistically significant reduction in VAS (n = 60) and WOMAC (n = 43) pain scores post-RFA (p < .0001 and p=.027, respectively ). Based on multivariate analysis, no analyzed variables including age, gender, BMI, history of fibromyalgia, or prior TKA were significant predictors of VAS or WOMAC score reduction.

Conclusion: At the one-year follow-up, genicular nerve cRFA resulted in significant reductions in pain, as measured by WOMAC and VAS scores regardless of gender, BMI, history of fibromyalgia, and prior TKA.