Is nervus femoralis radiofrequency ablation an effective treatment for recalcitrant greater trochanteric pain syndrome? Results of a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To describe long-term treatment outcomes of nervus femoralis radiofrequency ablation (NF-RFA) for recalcitrant greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS).

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Chart review of consecutive patients who underwent NF-RFA from 2022 to 2023 was performed. A standardized telephone survey was utilized to capture current Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scores. The primary outcome was ≥50% NPRS score reduction at follow-up. A secondary analysis was completed on free text responses asking patients to describe post-procedural changes in pain and function in their own words.

RESULTS

Outcomes were collected from 25 patients (aged 71.7 ± 9.3 years; 80.0% female; body mass index 29.3 ± 6.8 kg/m2) for 27 NF-RFA procedures at a minimum follow-up time of 6 months post-procedure. Average follow-up time was 13.1 ± 4.9 months; ≥50% NPRS reduction from baseline was reported by 55.6% (n = 15/27; 95% CI, 37.3-72.4) of patients. In addition,  ≥ 2-point NPRS score reduction from baseline was reported by 70.4% (n = 19/27; 95% CI, 51.5-84.2) of patients, and 51.9% (n = 14/27; 95% CI, 34.0-69.3) reported a PGIC score consistent with "much improved" or "very much improved."

CONCLUSION

In this cohort, over 55% of patients who received NF-RFA as treatment for refractory GTPS reported at least 50% improvement in hip pain at an average follow-up of approximately 13 months. The majority of free text responses from patients indicated that they would recommend NF-RFA, while approximately 25% reported ongoing pain and disability from low back pain or a return of index hip pain symptoms post-procedure.