Lumbar Facet Syndrome and the Use of Radiofrequency Ablation Technique as an Alternative Therapy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Lumbar facet syndrome stands out as a significant cause for the increasing prevalence of back pain complaints. Alternatives such as radiofrequency (RF) ablation may be a therapeutic option to relieve the chronic pain associated with this condition. It is critical to analyze the effectiveness of lumbar facet syndrome treatment using the traditional RF ablation technique and the relief generated by it in chronic lowback pain (CLBP). This study is a systematic review using the following inclusion criteria: title, observational studies, clinical trials, controlled clinical trials, clinical studies, and publications over the last 17 years (from 2005 to 2022). The exclusion criteria included papers addressing other themes and review articles. The databases used for data collection included the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Lilacs, and Biblioteca Virtual em Sa de (Virtual Health Library in Portuguese). The query used the following terms: facet, pain, lumbar, and radiofrequency. The application of these filters yielded 142 studies, and 12 were included in this review. Most studies indicated that the traditional RF ablation technique was beneficial in relieving CLBP refractory to conservative treatment.