Radiation exposure during basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablations.

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Interventional Radiology
• Spine Surgery

Background:

• Basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation (BVNRFA) is an emerging treatment for chronic low back pain.
• Fluoroscopy is used for guidance during BVNRFA, involving radiation exposure.
• Radiation exposure metrics for BVNRFA have not been previously documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the average fluoroscopic time during BVNRFA.
• To quantify radiation exposure associated with BVNRFA procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 55 patients undergoing BVNRFA for chronic low back pain at an academic spine center.
• Data collection included patient demographics, fluoroscopic time, radiation dose, trainee involvement, and treated vertebral levels.
• Calculation of average fluoroscopic time and radiation exposure metrics.

Main Results:

• The average fluoroscopic time for BVNRFA was 152.5 seconds (±84.3 s).
• Average cumulative radiation dose was 70.3 mGy (±53.0 mGy).
• Average dose area product was 7.9 mGy·cm² (±5.2 mGy·cm²).

Conclusions:

• BVNRFA procedures for chronic low back pain have an average fluoroscopic time of approximately 2.5 minutes.
• This study provides initial data on radiation exposure during BVNRFA, aiding in procedure safety assessments.