363: Three-in-One Puncture Technique for Genicular Nerve Ablation in Knee Osteoarthritis

Topic: Clinical Science
Subtopic: Pain category (ICD-11), Chronic primary musculoskeletal pain, Developing methodology/technology, Electrophysiology/Clinical neurophysiology (e.g. microneurography, EEG, MEG, OPMs, TMS) , Treatment/management

Background and Aims: Knee joint radiofrequency ablation is a commonly used intervention for patients with degenerative knee diseases and postoperative pain. Conventional approaches targeting the superior medial genicular nerve (SMGN), superior lateral genicular nerve (SLGN), and medial intermediate genicular nerve (IMGN) have demonstrated favourable outcomes. This conservative treatment strategy may reduce the overall efficacy of knee joint RFA. Our research team has developed an innovative three-in-one puncture technique for the knee, which has shown preliminarily promising results in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), including longer-lasting analgesia and an improved safety profile, suggesting its potential as a new standard puncture procedure for knee OA.

Methods: With reference to similar clinical trials, we included 57 patients for retrospective analysis. All patients underwent knee nerve RFA at the Pain Department of Taihe Hospital, affiliated with Hubei University of Medicine, from March 2021 to March 2023. Among them, 30 patients received treatment using the innovative three-in-one method, and 27 received treatment using the traditional method. Follow-up assessments were performed preoperatively and at postoperative Day 1, week 1, month 1, month 3, and month 6 using the numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain, surgical complications, and patient satisfaction. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare outcomes.

Results: Compared with preoperative scores, NRS scores significantly decreased in both groups at all postoperative time points. Intergroup comparisons revealed statistically significant differences in the NRS scores between the three-in-one group and the traditional group at postoperative months 1, 3, and 6 (P<0.05). No severe adverse reactions, such as lower limb numbness, weakness, hypoaesthesia, paraesthesia, or neuropathic pain, were observed in either group. At 6 months postsurgery, 93.3% of patients in the three-in-one group were satisfied with the outcomes, compared to 74.1% satisfaction in the traditional group.

Conclusions: The three-in-one method significantly reduced chronic peri-knee pain intensity. Long-term follow-up demonstrates its longer-lasting analgesic effects and higher patient satisfaction, indicating substantial clinical applicability.

References: 1、Leoni MLG, Schatman ME, Demartini L, Lo Bianco G, Terranova G. Genicular Nerve Pulsed Dose Radiofrequency (PDRF) Compared to Intra-Articular and Genicular Nerve PDRF in Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis. J Pain Res. 2020;13:1315-1321. Published 2020 Jun 3. 2、Vincent TL, Alliston T, Kapoor M, Loeser RF, Troeberg L, Little CB. Osteoarthritis Pathophysiology: Therapeutic Target Discovery may Require a Multifaceted Approach. Clin Geriatr Med. 2022;38(2):193-219. 3、Mohammadinejad R, Ashrafizadeh M, Pardakhty A, et al. Nanotechnological Strategies for Osteoarthritis Diagnosis, Monitoring, Clinical Management, and Regenerative Medicine: Recent Advances and Future Opportunities. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2020;22(4):12. Published 2020 Apr 4.

Presenting Author: jinyu lai
Submitting Author: jinyu lai

Senior Author: yulan li

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: Yes

• yulan li: M.D., Ph.D. - Department of Anesthesiology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
• yong xiang: M.D., Ph.D. - Department of Pain ,Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, 442000, China