Effect of pulsed radiofrequency in lumbar dorsal root ganglion and standard radiofrequency ablation in lumbar intervertebral disc to treat lumbar intervertebral disc herniation

Objective To compare the effect of pulsed radiofrequency in lumbar dorsal root ganglion and standard radiofrequency ablation in lumbar intervertabral disc to treat lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Methods Sixty patients were randomly divided into group A (lumbar dorsal root ganglion with pulsed radiofrequency) , group B (lumbar disc with standard radiofrequency ablation) and group C (combined the two methods) . NRS and ODI were analyzed before the treatment and at 1 month and 1 year after the treatment. The degree of pain relief was analyzed at the same time. Results Both NRS and ODI decreased at 1 month and 1 year after the treatment compared with pretreatment (P<0.05) . There was no significant difference in NRS and ODI between group A and B at any time points. Comparing group A and B, the NRS and ODI in group C decreased more obviously. The degree of pain relief in group C was obviously better than that in group A and B. Conclusion Both the pulsed radiofrequency in lumbar dorsal root ganglion and standard radiofrequency ablation in lumbar intervertebral disc are effective in the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation, and it is much better if combined them. Key words: Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation; Dorsal root ganglion; Pulsed radiofrequency; Standard radiofrequency; Numeric rating scale; Oswestry disability index