Factors influencing treatment outcomes of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency in chronic sacroiliac joint pain: a 6-month follow-up study


AKKEMİK Ü., ONAY M., GÜLEÇ M. S.

Medical Ultrasonography, cilt.27, sa.4, ss.414-421, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 27 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.11152/mu-4522
  • Dergi Adı: Medical Ultrasonography
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.414-421
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: predictive factors, pulsed radiofrequency, sacroiliac joint pain, ultrasound
  • Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Aim: To evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency applied to the L5 dorsal ramus and the lateral branches of the posterior primary rami at S1-3 for chronic sacroiliac joint pain and identify factors associated with treatment success. Material and methods: This retrospective study included 58 patients with chronic sacroiliac joint pain who underwent ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency treatment after failing conservative management. Treatment success was defined as ≥50% improvement in the NRS score at the 6-month follow-up. Demographic, clinical, and procedural factors were analyzed. Results: The successful treatment group (n=26, 44.8%) showed significant reduction in median NRS pain scores from 7.00 to 2.00 (p<0.001) and marked improvement in ODI functional scores. Factors significantly associated with success included younger age (p=0.02), lower BMI (p<0.001), shorter symptom duration (p<0.001), nonsmoking status (p<0.001), and absence of previous spinal (p=0.03) or hip surgery (p=0.04). Early response to treatment was predictive of long-term success. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency treatment provided significant pain reduction in approximately half of the patients with chronic sacroiliac joint pain at 6-month follow-up. Identified predictive factors may improve patient selection and treatment outcomes.