Cooled radiofrequency ablation may relieve knee pain better than hyaluronic acid
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Patients treated for osteoarthritis-related knee pain with cooled radiofrequency ablation saw greater improvements in pain relief and knee function compared with patients treated with a single injection of hyaluronic acid, according to a recent study.
Antonia F. Chen, MD, MBA, and colleagues assessed the efficacy and safety of Coolief cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) (Avanos Medical) on 175 patients with knee osteoarthritis pain in a level I therapeutic, multicenter, randomized clinical trial.
According to the study report, outcome measures included Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score, WOMAC osteoarthritis index, quality of life and safety. Researchers made evaluations at 1-, 3- and 6-months after treatment.
Of the 158 patients who completed the 6-month follow-up, 76 received treatment with CRFA and 87 received treatment with a single injection of hyaluronic acid (HA).
With a mean NRS score reduction of 4.1, 71% of the CRFA group saw a 50% or greater reduction in NRS pain score, while 38% of the HA group saw a 50% or greater reduction in NRS pain score, a mean NRS score reduction of 2.5.
Additionally, mean WOMAC osteoarthritis index improved 68% from baseline in the CRFA group compared with 22.6% in the HA group, and quality of life scores improved in 72% of the CRFA group and 40% of the HA group. Investigators reported no adverse events associated with either treatment method.
“The findings of this randomized study showed that CRFA is superior to a single injection of HA for the management of osteoarthritic knee pain,” Chen and colleagues wrote. “The majority of subjects receiving CRFA can expect at least 6 months of pain relief,” they added.
“Certain resources are required when using CRFA, which typically is administered in the hospital setting, whereas HA injection often occurs in the office setting,” the researchers wrote. “However, economic studies have determined that CRFA is a cost-effective procedure.”
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