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Sustained pain relief across modic subtypes following basivertebral nerve ablation: A real-world study
Emily R Bellow1, Justin N Passman1, Derek Johnson1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Background:
Basivertebral nerve (BVN) ablation has emerged as a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for patients with vertebrogenic low back pain and corresponding Modic Changes on MRI. However, real-world evidence evaluating the impact of Modic Change subtype on clinical outcomes is limited.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact of Modic Change subtype on clinical outcomes following BVN ablation in a real-world cohort.
Methods:
Adult patients who underwent BVN ablation at our institution from November 2019 to January 2025 were included in this retrospective study. A total of 134 patients were classified by Modic Change type on their pre-procedural MRI and stratified into Type 1 (N = 59), Type 2 (N = 52), and Mixed (N = 23) Groups. Pain severity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, 4-6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months post-procedure.
Results:
A statistically significant decrease in VAS at 12 months was observed for the Type 1 Group (7.44 vs. 3.15, p < 0.001), the Type 2 Group (7.12 vs. 3.29, p < 0.001), and the Mixed Group (5.87 vs. 2.00, p < 0.001). At 12 months, 81.3% of the cohort achieved a ≥ 2-Point VAS decrease, with no differences between the Type 1, Type 2, and Mixed Groups.
Conclusions:
BVN ablation produced sustained, significant pain reduction and comparable clinical outcomes across Modic Change subtypes. These findings provide real-world evidence supporting the effectiveness of BVN ablation in patients with vertebrogenic low back pain.
