CQ ORTHOPAEDICS
Dr James Roche
Orthopaedic Surgeon
COOLIEF RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION
The latest innovation in joint preservation and pain management
WHAT IS COOLIEF RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION?
Cooled Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally-invasive procedure that can provide pain relief without pills or surgery.
Nerves in your body transmit pain signals to your brain from specialised receptors. When your body experiences pain from injury or disease impulses are sent from these receptors to the brain
Radiofrequency Ablation interrupts these signals by preventing transmission in the nerve fibres.
The arthritis in the joint remains and may progress over time and this is simply symptomatic treatment.
HOW DOES COOLED RADIO FREQUENCY ABLATION WORK?
Radiofrequency ablation has been used for many years and utilises a small insulated needle to deliver a high-frequency electrical current that generates heat and damages the nerve fibres so pain signals can no longer be transmitted.
Cooled radiofrequency ablation is a variation on conventional radiofrequency ablation that adds a cooling component to the needle by circulating water around the needle. This allows a larger field of action and makes the technology more appropriate for use around joints.
The location of pain fibres around large joints are well known and therefore these areas can be targeted with the probes achieving pain relief.
HOW IS RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION PERFORMED?
The procedure is undertaken in an operating theatre and once you are asleep fine needles are placed under X-ray guidance to target the specific nerve fibres supplying the joint. The location is tested by passing a current through the needle to ensure only pain fibres are affected.
Once confirmed a different current is passed through the needle along with the cooling fluid to heat the area and prevent the nerve from conducting its signals.
The procedure takes around 20-60 minutes depending on how many nerves are targeted.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION?
Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment to reduce the pain from joint disease. Unlike joint replacement surgery, radiofrequency ablation is not a permanent solution to arthritis. It cannot realign a worn joint or improve the range of motion. It is therefore a useful additional treatment where joint replacement may not be indicated.
The main groups of patients that are most suitable are:
Young patients who may wish to defer joint replacement surgery
Patients for which surgery poses an unacceptably high risk such as the very elderly or those with other severe medical co-morbidities
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which joints can be treated by this technique?
Radiofrequency ablation can be used to treat hip or knee pain.
Typical conditions include arthritis not severe enough for surgery, labral tears of the hip, lateral hip pain due to tendinopathy or occasionally painful joint replacements.
Is the procedure painful?
The procedure produces very little pain as local anaesthetic is placed around the needles before they are removed. Patients usually require no crutches or walking aids. Any pain can be managed with over the counter analgesia.
How long does it take to work?
The onset begins within 1-2 weeks.
How long does the benefit last?
According to recent studies many patients achieve benefit beyond 12 months
How expensive is Radiofrequency ablation?
The cost is usually covered by your health fund, however there may be a gap fee payable.
What is the recovery time following treatment?
Most patients can return to work and every day activities within 2-3 days of the procedure.