Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Knee, Hip, and Shoulder Pain

For patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), radiofrequency ablation may reduce pain and improve function compared to other nonsurgical interventions without increasing adverse events. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that radiofrequency ablation reduces pain or improves function among patients with chronic hip pain. We did not find any studies or guidelines on the clinical effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation for treating chronic shoulder pain that met the inclusion criteria for this review. Three guidelines conditionally recommend the use of radiofrequency ablation for patients with knee OA, and 1 guideline conditionally recommends the use of radiofrequency ablation for hip joint pain following diagnostic blocks.