Short- and Long-Term Outcomes after Radiofrequency Ablation of Osteoid Osteomas

The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment of osteoid osteomas using bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and patients' quality of life before and after therapy. We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent bipolar RFA of osteoid osteomas between 2001 and 2016. We assessed patients' symptoms before and after treatment (four weeks after treatment and long-term) using a questionnaire including severity and quality of pain on a 10-point scale (1 = no pain, 10 = severe pain), motion restrictions, pain-related sleep disorders, and necessary pain medication. In addition, we evaluated technical success, complications, hospitalization length, and patients' satisfaction with treatment. This study included 62 patients (43 [69.4%] males, 26.2 ± 13.2 years). Average nidus size was 5.7 ± 2.6 mm. The rate of technical success was 100%. All RFAs were performed without any complications. One patient showed a recurrence, resulting in a recurrence rate of 1.6%, which was successfully treated by another session of RFA. Average hospitalization length was 1.5 ± 0.5 days. A total of 36 patients (58.1%) participated in the questionnaire, reporting an average pain severity of 8.2 ± 1.6 before RFA compared to 3.4 ± 3.0 four weeks after and an average of 2.1 ± 2.3, 6.6 years after therapy, (both p < 0.001). After therapy, 31 (86.1%) patients had no pain. The majority of patients (n = 34, 94.4%) had reduced or absent motion restriction after therapy (p < 0.001). Patient satisfaction rate was 91.7%. In conclusion, bipolar RFA is a safe and effective treatment modality for osteoid osteomas and improves quality of life by reducing pain severity and motion restrictions.