Medscape reports on a pilot study presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 annual meeting finding cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) treats chronic pain and stiffness in patients who have undergone knee replacement, and includes commentary from Jonathan S. Kirschner, MD, RMSK, physiatrist at HSS, who was not involved in the study.

Dr. Kirschner said, “I personally see [the therapy] as the 'gold standard' for treating chronic pain in patients who underwent knee replacement surgery.” He noted that more research is necessary to increase awareness about the procedure.

Kirschner is currently conducting a prospective study looking at how long pain relief lasts after the procedure and which patients respond better to CRFA.

He mentioned, “Historically, the only options we had were drugs and medications to treat the pain. This is unique and novel way of treating it without drugs.”

Read the full article at Medscape.com.