Analgesia and Improved Performance in a Patient Treated by Cooled Radiofrequency for Pain and Dysfunction Postbilateral Total Knee Replacement

Abstract

Total knee replacement (TKR) is a terminal therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. While TKR results are generally satisfactory, a significant proportion of patients experience persistent pain lasting > 3 months following surgery, even after a technically acceptable operation. Knee pain of any kind post-TKR has been reported in up to 53% of patients, while 15% of patients have reported severe pain. Pain post-TKR is worse than preoperative pain in 7%, often resulting in surgical revision. The clinical experience of a patient that originally presented to an orthopedic surgeon with OA of both knees demonstrates an alternative relatively noninvasive pain management strategy: cooled radiofrequency (CRF) ablation of sensory nerves.