# Basivertebral Nerve Ablation for Vertebrogenic Low Back Pain in an Elderly Patient With Multilevel Modic Changes: A Case Report

**Authors:** Shivang Patel, Victoria K Corder, Tom Sussan, Joachim Kavalakatt, Tony El-Hayek

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.85792 · Cureus · 2025-06-11

## TL;DR

An elderly patient with chronic low back pain and degenerative spinal changes found relief through a new treatment called basivertebral nerve ablation.

## Contribution

This case report introduces basivertebral nerve ablation as a novel treatment for vertebrogenic low back pain in elderly patients.

## Key findings

- The patient experienced chronic low back pain unresponsive to conservative treatments.
- BVN ablation was effective in managing vertebrogenic pain in a patient with multilevel Modic changes.

## Abstract

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common disabling condition, especially in older patients with degenerative lumbar pathology. This case report involves an 84-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and long-standing low back pain, mainly in the left lower lumbar area, unresponsive to conservative management. Imaging showed multilevel degenerative changes, including Modic type 1 and 2 changes, suggestive of vertebrogenic pain. As he did not respond to standard treatments, basivertebral nerve (BVN) ablation was proposed as a novel treatment modality. This case points to the importance of diagnosing vertebrogenic pain in chronic pain treatment and highlights BVN ablation as a novel treatment modality.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** diabetes mellitus (MONDO:0005015)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** DM (MESH:D003920), vertebrogenic pain (MESH:D001416), chronic pain (MESH:D059350), CLBP (MESH:D017116)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

12 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12254051/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12254051