The Effectiveness of Shoulder Terminal Sensory Articular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Non-surgical Refractory Shoulder Pain Due to Rotator Cuff Pathology and Osteoarthritis; A Prospective Pilot Study
Through this prospective, single-arm cohort pilot study, we plan to explore the safety and effectiveness of Shoulder Radiofrequency Ablation (SRFA) in patients with non-operative chronic shoulder pain due to shoulder osteoarthritis with or without rotator cuff tears.
• ≥50 years old capable of understanding and providing consent in English, and capable of complying with the outcome instruments used
• ≥3 months of shoulder pain refractory to conventional treatment (i.e., physiotherapy, medication, steroid injections)
• Persistent shoulder pain ≥ 4/10 in intensity on a 7-day average
• Shoulder pain refractory to conventional treatment (i.e., physical therapy, oral analgesics, steroid injection)
• Prior consultation with a board-certified orthopedic shoulder surgeon, deemed a non-surgical candidate for the primary diagnosis of glenohumeral joint pain +/- rotator cuff pain
• ≥80% pain relief for at least 30 minutes after a single fluoroscopically-guided block of the sensory branches of the SN, AN, and LPN with 0.5 mL of lidocaine at each nerve
• Scheduled for procedure of interest