Diagnostic Roots Radiofrequency Sensory Stimulation Looking for Symptomatic Injured Roots in Multiple Lumbar...

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Pain Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Multilevel lumbar stenosis often presents diagnostic challenges in identifying specific symptomatic nerve roots.
• Accurate localization of injured roots is crucial for effective surgical planning and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the procedure for radiofrequency sensory stimulation (RFSS).
• To evaluate the utility of RFSS in identifying symptomatic injured nerve roots in patients with multilevel lumbar stenosis.

Main Methods:

• RFSS was performed on suspicious nerve roots identified via lumbar MRI in 10 patients.
• Patients reported if stimulation reproduced their usual pain and affected leg area.
• Symptomatic roots were confirmed, followed by surgical decompression and outcome assessment (NRS, ODI).

Main Results:

• RFSS reduced the mean number of identified symptomatic roots from 2.6 to 1.6.
• An average of 1.4 lumbar segments were decompressed.
• At 35.3 months follow-up, significant improvements were observed in low back pain (NRS 5.1% to 3.1%), leg pain (NRS 7.5% to 1.5%), and Oswestry Disability Index (53.2% to 35.3%).

Conclusions:

• RFSS is a valuable diagnostic method for verifying and localizing symptomatic nerve root lesions.
• It is particularly useful in complex cases of multilevel lumbar spinal stenosis.
• The procedure aids in guiding surgical interventions, leading to improved patient outcomes.