# Successful Treatment of Hip Osteoarthritis With Radiofrequency Ablation: A Report of Two Cases

## TL;DR

Two patients with hip osteoarthritis experienced pain relief after radiofrequency ablation of hip joint nerves.

## Contribution

Demonstrates the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation for hip osteoarthritis pain when other treatments fail.

## Key findings

- Fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency ablation provided analgesic effects in patients with chronic hip OA pain.
- Direct needle approach improved the specificity and ease of RFA for hip joint nerve branches.
- Hip nerve branches RFA is a viable option for patients not suitable for hip replacement.

## Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of activity limitation in adults. In two patients with chronic pain due to hip OA who had inadequate pain relief or had severe recalcitrant pain, fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the hip joint nerve branches was performed, and analgesic effects were obtained. RFA of the hip joint nerve branches is usually performed by taking into consideration the localization of the femoral nerve and the obturator nerve innervating the anterior aspect of the hip joint, and the superior gluteal nerve and sciatic nerve innervating the posterior aspect of the hip joint. In these cases, RFA can be performed more easily by using a direct needle approach and can be more specific about tender points. These two cases suggest the usefulness of hip nerve branches RFA for patients with chronic pain due to hip OA who may not be candidates for total hip arthroplasty.