A number of patients complain of lower back pain due to facet joint problems, and radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation of medial branches is known to be an effective method of relieving pain caused by facet joint problems. However, objective outcome assessments of this modality are limited. Therefore, the authors investigated short term results after thermocoagulation of the lumbar medial branches.

The authors studied 25 patients diagnosed as having facet joint syndrome and who underwent RF thermocoagulation. Pain relief was estimated at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months after the procedure using a visual analog scale (VAS). A result was regarded as successful if pain reduction exceeded 50% on the VAS at 6 weeks.

Seven of the 25 patients did not respond favorably to RF application (pain reduction less than 50%). Of the 18 patients who showed a successful response, 17 had a favorable result up to 3 months after the procedure.

It is suggested that lumbar medial branch rhizotomy using radiofrequency thermocoagulation, is an effective treatment modality for patients with lumbar facet joint syndrome. This study shows that its effect is maintained for at least 3 months after the procedure in most patients.