EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LUMBAR FACET JOINT PAIN

Abstract

To evaluate the treatment outcomes of using radiofrequency ablation for chronic lumbar facet joint pain. This was a non randomized, interventional study conducted on patients with chronic lumbar facet joint pain who were treated with radiofrequency ablation at the Department of Neurosurgery, Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, from September 2024 to April 2025. We included 15 patients who met the study criteria. The mean VAS scores after the intervention at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months were 3.4 ± 1.05; 1.7 ± 1.1; and 1.4 ± 0.91, respectively. The application of radiofrequency ablation for treating chronic lumbar facet joint pain is a method that initially shows effectiveness and safety.