Nerve-Targeted Interventions Provide Meaningful Short-Term Pain and Functional Improvement in Refractory Hip Pain: A...

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Interventional Pain Medicine
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Chronic hip pain management is challenging, especially for non-surgical candidates.
• Targeted denervation is emerging as a strategy to reduce hip pain by interrupting nociceptive signals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review patient outcomes from nerve-targeted interventions for hip pain.
• To summarize procedural techniques, patient selection, and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of Level II, III, and IV studies following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed for studies on nerve-targeted hip pain interventions.
• Assessed inter-reviewer agreement with kappa statistic and study quality with MINORS criteria.

Main Results:

• Ten studies (358 patients) using radiofrequency ablation or alcohol neurolysis targeting femoral/obturator nerves were included.
• 60-80% of patients reported >50% pain relief at 3-6 months, with some sustained benefits up to 12 months.
• Improvements in function and reduced opioid use were noted; complications were rare and minor.

Conclusions:

• Nerve-targeted interventions show potential for short-term pain relief and functional improvement in refractory hip pain.
• These procedures may benefit patients unsuitable for surgery or with persistent post-surgical pain.
• Limited evidence necessitates high-quality randomized controlled trials for long-term efficacy and technique optimization.