Transcutaneous Pulsed Radiofrequency Application Plus Genicular Nerve Block Versus Intraarticular Hyaluronic Acid Injection for Management of Chronic Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis.

A Comparative Study Between Transcutaneous Pulsed Radiofrequency Application Plus Genicular Nerve Block Versus Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection for Management of Chronic Pain in Knee Osteo-arthritis: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

The aim of the present study is to compare the analgesic efficacy of combined transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency plus genicular nerve block with bupivacaine plus corticosteroid versus intraarticular Hyaluronic acid injections, in terms of clinical and functional parameters, in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Total knee arthroplasty is commonly used as a surgical option for the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis to relieve pain and improve function, although it is associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality, particularly in older patients with co morbidities. Despite high success rates after total knee arthroplasty , a significant number of patients report suffering from postoperative pain, which can be worse than reported preoperative pain.

As an alternative approach, radiofrequency treatment modalities on the knee joint have been used to reduce knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Genicular nerve block (GNB) is a recently developed therapeutic option for knee osteoarthritis. that targets the three sensory nerves of the knee: superior lateral, superior medial and inferior medial genicular nerve, to inhibit pain transmission to the central nervous system.

Early osteoarthritis. treatment combines non pharmacological techniques with oral pharmacological therapies, intraarticular injections (IAI) of hyaluronic acid (HA), corticosteroid with local anesthetic or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are used in progressive or very symptomatic stage. Intraarticular injections (IAI) is considered one of first-line treatments in recent studies as it is effective in decreasing pain and safer than oral pharmacological therapies.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged above 40 years.
• Both sexes
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)physical status I and II.
• Patients radiologically proven symptomatic knee joint osteoarthritis not responding to medical treatment.
• Patients with knee pain of moderate or greater intensity on most or all days for ≥ 3 months, showing significant radiological osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1 to 3).

Radiological severity was assessed using the Kellgrenand Lawrence global scale as follow: Grade 0; means absence of radiological finding; grade 1: suspected narrowing of joint space; grade 2 refers to osteophytes and possible narrowing; grade 3 is defined as multiple os-teophytes, definite narrowing of joint space and grade 4 comprises large osteophytes, marked narrowing of joint space.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient refusal.
• Patients who show improvement on medical treatment, patients on an oral, topical, or intra-articular steroid during the 4 weeks before the study; patients with an oral, topical, or suppository non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs within 2 weeks before the study.
• Patients having secondary knee osteoarthritis.
• Patients with severe osteoarthritis.(K/L grade >3) in a location other than the knee joint.
• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Patients with joint replacement surgery in either knee and/or a hip.
• Patients with meniscal tear, ligament injury, bursitis, and popliteal cyst and blood investigations suggestive of any infection.
• Morbid obese patients (body mass index (BMI) of >40 kg/m2)
• Infection at site of injection.
• Bleeding diathesis and coagulopathy.