Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation and Dual Subsartorial Block for Chronic Knee Pain Post Total Knee Replacement: A Case Report

Introduction. Chronic pain defines as pain persisting for three months or longer, chronic post-surgical pain can affect all dimensions of health-related quality of life, and is associated with functional limitations. treatment of chronic pain after total knee replacement is challenging, and evaluation of combined treatments and individually targeted treatments matched to patient characteristic. Genicular nerve block radiofrequency ablation is a safe and effective therapeutic procedure for pain associated with chronic pain due to knee osteoarthritis, and the evolution of newer regional analgesia techniques aids in reducing postoperative pain Dual Subsartorial Block (DSB) as a procedure specific, post total knee replacemet. historically there has been a reliance on using a pain-spesific assessment tools Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Case Presentation. A 55-year old woman admitted she had pain on bilateral knee, the knee pain had affected her daily living, she was diagnosed with chronic knee pain post TKR because of osteoarthritis genu bilateral, the patient was planning genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation and dual subsartorial block, from the examination we found that numeric rating scale was 6 (moderate pain) with WOMAC score 76, before the procedure the patients are examined through radiology for any deformity in the knee. The genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation under ultrasound guidance on bonylandmark, resulting anesthesia of the anterior compartment of the knee, and dual subsartorial block that cover almost all the innervations of pain generating component of the anterior and posterior knee joint involved in TKR surgery. After the procedure we reevaluated the pain score using NRS was 2 (mild pain), and with WOMAC Score 19. Conclusion. Treatment of chronic pain post total knee replacemet was challenging, targeted treatment may ameliorate the pain and prevent long term disability.

Risk of total knee replacement after proximal tibia fracture: a register-based study of 7,841 patients

Background and purpose — Post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis following proximal tibia fracture (PTF) is a common complication that may lead to total knee replacement as secondary treatment (TKRS). We determined the risk of TKRS following PTF, whether treated nonoperatively or operatively, and compared the results with a 38-fold control group without prior PTF. Patients and methods — We identified all patients over 18 years of age in Finland with PTF treated during the period 2009–2018 from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR) and Finnish Arthroplasty Register (FAR). Age, sex, treatment method, follow-up time, and possible TKRS were recorded. Results — 7,701 patients were treated for PTF during the period 2009–2018. Over the 5.1-year (SD 3.1) follow-up, TKRS was performed in 340 (4.3%) patients with a prior PTF after a mean of 2.1 (SD 2.0) years post-fracture. TKRS was needed in 138 (3.7%, HR 1.8) patients in the nonoperatively treated group and in 202 (5.0%, HR 3.2) patients in the operatively treated group. Operative treatment, female sex, and high age were identified as risk factors for TKRS. The incidence of TKRS was highest during the first 2 years after fracture and remained elevated throughout the follow-up. Interpretation — Patients with a prior PTF had a 1.8- to 3.2-fold higher risk of TKRS compared with controls during the first 5 years post-fracture. Risk of TKRS was associated with an operatively treated PTF, female sex, and high age. The patients in the operative group likely sustained more complex fractures, while female sex and age may be explained by more osteoporotic bone quality.