The purpose of this study is to determine if patients with chronic painful knee osteoarthritis experience meaningful and long-term improvement in pain, function, and analgesic use after ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency of the genicular nerves following a double diagnostic genicular nerve blocks.
Chronic knee pain with pain intensity of at least 4 out 10 on the VAS on most or all days for more than 3 months
Patients of either sex with primary osteoarthritis of one or both knees fulfilling diagnostic criteria for osteoarthritis knee laid down by American College of Rheumatology.
Patients also had to have a Kellgren-Lawrence (radiologic criterion) score of at least 2
Pain resistant to conventional therapy including NSAIDs, opioids, muscle relaxants, oral steroids, physical therapy, and intra-articular injection therapy.
The patients with secondary osteoarthritis of knees
Associated systemic arthropathies, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis and gout
Previous radiofrequency ablation treatment for similar symptoms.
Intra-articular knee corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injection in the past 3 months.