Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) has been used successfully to treat myriad types of chronic pain, including spinal radicular pain and that associated with facet arthropathy. Although there are a few reports about radiofrequency treatment for Bertolotti’s syndrome (BS) presenting with low back pain, PRF has not previously been reported. Among the four patients we treated (one woman, three men; average age 55 years, range 22-77 years), three had type IIA lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) according to Castellvi’s classification, and one had type IIB. Low back pain without radicular pain had been present in these four patients for a mean of 13.2 months (range 8.0-24.3 months). Fluoroscopically guided local anesthetic injection into the pseudarthrosis alleviated their low back pain temporarily, but the pain subsequently returned. Each then underwent PRF treatment. Their mean visual analog scale for low back pain improved from 68 mm (range 50-80 mm) to 25 mm (range 10-40 mm). To date, the pain relief and full restoration of function has continued for a mean follow-up period of 8.2 months (range 3.9-10.4 months).PRF is a sufficiently effective, minimally invasive option to relieve the low back pain associated with BS at least for the short term.
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