THE EFFICACY OF RADIOFREQUENCY LESIONING OF THE CERVICAL SPINAL DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION IN A DOUBLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED STUDY - NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 40-DEGREES-C AND 67-DEGREES-C TREATMENTS

The efficacy of radiofrequency lesion treatment of the cervical dorsal root ganglion (RF-DRG) in cervicobrachialgia was investigated in 61 p atients by a randomized prospective double blinded study. Before lesio n treatment the putative pain provoking spinal root was identified by diagnostic blocks with a local anesthetic agent. One group of patients (n = 32, group I) was treated with a radiofrequency lesion of 67 degr ees C and in a control group (It = 29, group II) a temperature of 40 d egrees C was applied. Three months after treatment a significant reduc tion in VAS scores was demonstrated in both groups. The outcome of the treatments was identical (VAS reduction: group I, 1.7; group II, 1.9; P = 0.001). In group I a VAS reduction of 3 or more occurred in 11/31 (34%) and in group II in 11/29 (38%) of patients. A VAS reduction of 2 or more occurred in group I in 15/31 (47%) and in group II in 15/29 (51%) of patients. This study suggests that treatment with 40 degrees C radiofrequency application of the dorsal root ganglion is equally ef fective as treatment at 67 degrees C, Further appraisal of this treatm ent is required. (C) 1997 International Association for the Study of P ain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.